Police yet to resume activities due to security concerns

Although the members of police have been urged to join their workstations, the police-station-based activities are yet to be resumed. The police members still have security concerns. So they are still afraid of joining the police stations.

It’s a challenge to bring back police members to their workstations unless their security is ensured at the field level, police officials at different levels said.

In this circumstance, it’s not possible to resume activities of different police stations in the capital right now.

However, new Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md. Mainul Hasan has ordered the police members to start work from police stations. He urged the police members to at least resume the operations that can be run from police stations.

The commissioner issued the order in a coordination meeting on Thursday. Officers-in-charge (OCs) of different police stations inside Dhaka, crime division deputy commissioners (DC) and top officials of DMP headquarters were present in the meeting.

In the meeting, the police officials said that it would take time to resume station-based activities after the recent incidents of attack, vandalism and arson.

Several police officials who were present in the meeting said everything has been burnt down in many of the police stations. It is not possible to conduct any sort of activities there. An order has been given to prepare the list logistics and arms that has been damaged or stolen.

Earlier, a number of police stations were vandalised and burnt down over the clash and massive casualties centering the student movement against discrimination.

In particular, following the fall of Awami League government in the face of student-people revolution on 5 August several police establishments were attacked and vandalised. Several police stations were set on fire.

Besides, arms and properties were looted from many police stations. A number of police members were killed. After that, the police stations across the country become empty.

Relevant people say the students and people are enraged with the role played by the police to quell the movement. As a result, the agitated mob targeted the police.

Following Sheikh Hasina’s departure, all police members, from top level to field level, went into hiding. As the situation improved, the police officials are showing up at the Police Headquarters and the DMP office.

Newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Mainul Islam ordered all police stations to join their posts. Although the deadline ended yesterday, there were no police in most of the police stations. The members of Ansar and VDP are guarding the police stations.

The students have hung a paper on the main gate of the Hatirjheel police station, which reads, “Kindly refrain from attacking or looting state properties. There are the assets of people. We request you to take action against those who are still doing these.”

The main gate of the police station was locked from outside and members of Ansar guarding the police stations were sitting inside. Some eight Ansar members were guarding the police station.

Mahtab Mia, one of the Ansar members there, said, “No police have come to the station yet. I don’t know when they will come. We are safeguarding the state properties here.”

It was the same at the Badda and Uttara East police stations. There was nobody except the members of Ansar at the police station. No police members were seen at Bhatara, Badda, Hatirjheel, Shahbagh, New Market, Dhanmondi and Uttara East police stations on Thursday either.

However, a number of police were seen at the office of the Detective Branch (DB) of the DMP in the capital’s Minto Road. Members of Bangladesh Army were seen guarding the office. The officials and members were seen signing their names on the log books at the gate before entering the office. According to the log book, some 90 officials came to DB officials and employees came to the DB office as of 2:00 pm Thursday.

An assistant deputy commissioner of DB told Prothom Alo, the protesters reigned havoc inside the DB office.

* This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu