Police in Bangladesh are scared. Victims of attacks and lynchings, policemen are not reporting for duty, turning police stations into ghost buildings and leaving people with no one to turn to in times of distress. This happened in the final phase of protests and violence that followed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and fleeing the country.
Several police stations were also set on fire. On Friday, police officers were given a 24-hour deadline to return to their posts, but that too proved futile.
According to Dhaka-based Pratham Alo report, a meeting between the armed forces and law enforcement agencies on Thursday decided to resume operations at all police stations within 24 hours, but despite this, many stations across the country remained non-operational on Thursday.
Police beaten to death, sit-in at police station, weapons looted
After the resignation and escape of the former Prime Minister on August 5, by the next morning at least 76 police stations were set on fire in Bangladesh. Shockingly, a day before, 13 police officers including an officer in charge were beaten to death At a station in Sirajganj, when the country was heading towards anarchy and chaos.
Concerns about their safety continued to haunt policemen, making them hesitant to return to duty, Prothom Alo reported.
According to the Dhaka Tribune, rioters in Chittagong attacked, vandalised and set fire to at least six police stations in Chittagong, and looted weapons, ammunition and various equipment.
Several police officers were injured during the attacks, and the attackers managed to loot a large amount of police weapons and other equipment.
The attackers attempted to break open the main gate of the Chittagong Metropolitan Police Lines at Dampara. Following this, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, but hundreds of people gathered and tried to force their way into and attack the police commissioner’s office. The situation worsened when the crowd started pelting bricks at the office.
In Bogura, several protesters suddenly attacked a police station, injuring several policemen.
“I don’t know if anyone is dead or not. Protesters attacked a police station and are also attacking police. Police are trying to disperse them,” Zakir Hasan, a Bogura police employee, told Prothom Alo.
“So far, violent mobs have attacked nearly 400 police stations across the country, killing nearly 50 policemen. Following the violence, many senior and regional-level police officials have gone into hiding,” the United News of India reported.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force personnel are reportedly guarding several police stations across the country.
Bangladesh Police has undergone a major reshuffle since Sheikh Hasina was ousted on Monday, the Dhaka-based Daily Star reported. On Thursday, new appointments were made to key positions, including the inspector general of police, director general of the Rapid Action Battalion and commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
During the meeting, various officials expressed their opinions, saying that given the current state of the capital’s police stations after attacks, vandalism and arson, it will take time to restore operations. The new commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) directed the officers to start working from the stations as soon as possible and urged them to set up at least basic facilities like chairs and tables to start services.
Many police stations were completely burnt down
Several officers present at the meeting told Prothom Alo that many police stations have been completely burnt down and there is no conducive environment to work there. Instructions were given to make a list of the losses, including computers, police vehicles, weapons, supplies, chairs and tables.
Meanwhile, The Daily Star newspaper, citing eyewitnesses, reported that some policemen in plain clothes were arriving at the Rajbagh Police Lines and signing the attendance register. However, according to news agency PTI, they were not going to their respective workplaces, such as police stations, for security reasons.
On Thursday, BDNews24 reported that every police station in the capital Dhaka bore signs of vandalism and looting. Abdur Rahman Apu, a class 11 student from Dhaka, told BDNews24 that miscreants had “also stolen refrigerators and televisions from the police quarters behind the station.”
They have also been requested to voluntarily return the weapons, ammunition and other equipment looted from various police stations to the nearest Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) office.
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on 5 August, the Police Headquarters and Many important police establishments were attackedPolice stations across the country have been largely deserted since then.
While most of the violence targeted police personnel and establishments, leaving police stations deserted, ordinary citizens, students and religious minorities, including Hindus, remained vulnerable to attacks. With no one to report incidents or address them when local violence broke out, they had nowhere to turn for help.