DMP plans to enhance strength to avert future clashes

An account is being prepared of how many bullets, tear gas shells and sound grenades have been used by the police during the clashes and violence that erupted across the country centering the movement demanding quota reform in government jobs.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is planning to enhance its strength by adding more manpower, supplies and logistics to avert any violent situation of such magnitude in the future.

DMP sources say there are some 30,200 members in the DMP, the biggest police unit. Half of them are deployed to maintain law and order in the city. The police officials feel there are possibilities of movements like the quota reform movement in the future. So they have started preparations from now to keep the situation entirely under control in case of such movements.

Several top DMP officials think the police were lenient with the protesting students initially. Taking advantage of that, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh took control of the movement under the banner of students. Later, they got engaged in clashes and violence and unleashed havoc across the country. The police were highly hit hard due to this.

The police officials further evaluated that the number of police on the streets were low as compared to the number of protesters. Therefore, the police struggled to ensure people’s security and maintain their own safety.

The police officials in Dhaka feel as long as the clashes were confined to some particular spots, police had the situation under control. However, it became almost impossible for police to tackle the situation when the clashes spread to several areas in Dhaka.

A top DMP official said the deputy commissioners of the eight crime divisions of the DMP have been instructed to make an assessment on the shortcomings that the police faced preventing the clashes centering quota reform movement and what needs to be done to overcome those.

The deputy commissioners of the relevant crime divisions have been asked to identify the ‘risky spots’ and send a list to the police headquarters regarding the amount of arms and ammunition, tear gas shells and sound grenades needed to tackle any situation in those spots.

The lists of requirements will be sent to the police headquarters. Additional manpower will be added and supplies will be increased as per the requirement lists on the basis of the approval from the inspector general of police (IGP).

Several police officials at the police headquarters told Prothom Alo those who led the police on the streets to prevent clashes inside the city had no information or plans in advance. They could not identify the possible spots of attack beforehand.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, DMP joint commissioner (operations) Biplab Kumar Sarker told Prothom Alo preparations are underway to do every possible to further strengthen all DMP units for any potential situation in the future.

Referring to the claims of several police officials that there was no plan at the field level to prevent the clashes, Biplab Kumar Sarker said, “The police officials of relevant units led the force at the field level on the basis of specific plans to avoid clashes during the quota reform movement.”

The student movement demanding quota reform in government jobs started on 1 July. The movement spread countrywide following the incidents of clashes between the protesters and the student wing of the ruling party on Dhaka University (DU) campus.

The entire country was in turmoil from the next day with reports of attacks, clashes, violence, vandalism, arson and casualties from different places across the country including Dhaka centering the quota reform movement.

At one point, the government deployed BGB troops to help the police. However, the situation was beyond control even after that.

Several significant government establishments, including, Bangladesh Television, metro rail station, elevated expressway, Shetu Bhaban, BRTA head office, the old heath directorate building, several police stations and outposts, were vandalised and burnt down.

Consequently, the casualties from these incidents started rising. The government enforced curfew across the country from 20 July and deployed the army.

Asked about this, former IGP Nur Mohammad told Prothom Alo that the intelligence didn’t have any prior information regarding the clashes in Dhaka and its places. Therefore, the police were attacked.

He said the movement spread across the country following the killing of Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed which the law enforcement couldn’t control resulting in massive casualties across the country.

The former police chief further says only enhancing force and supply won’t be enough for strengthening the DMP. Accurate monitoring and proper training is needed.

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