16,000 police and RAB personnel deployed across city during Eid holiday

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have taken extensive preparations to maintain law and order in Dhaka and ensure the safety of residents during Eid ul-Fitr.

As the capital is expected to become nearly empty during the seven-day Eid holiday, at least 16,000 members of police and RAB will remain on active duty to protect lives and property. In addition to setting up checkpoints on roads, patrols have been intensified in shopping malls and residential areas.

The seven-day holiday from 17 to 23 March has already begun. During this time, a large number of people will leave Dhaka to celebrate Eid with their families. Such periods often see a rise in crime in the largely deserted city, with theft, mugging, robbery, and particularly heists targeting gold markets being major concerns.

DMP officials said that past incidents show that theft and robbery at jewelry shops tend to increase during Eid holidays. In some cases, security guards have been tied up, while in others, robberies were carried out with the involvement of insiders. Taking these experiences into account, both DMP and RAB have developed a comprehensive security plan for before and after Eid.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, DMP Acting Commissioner Md Sarwar said more than 15,000 police members are deployed across the capital to maintain law and order before and after Eid. Police leave has already been cancelled except in emergencies. He added that after residents leave Dhaka, additional personnel—previously assigned to shopping areas, terminals, and traffic duties—are being redeployed to guard key roads, alleys, and residential neighborhoods.

Sarwar also noted that traffic police have been equipped with weapons during Ramadan to help curb crime, enabling them to catch muggers red-handed. Plainclothes officers and informants are also being used to track and arrest suspects.

According to multiple DMP officials, night patrols and checkpoints have been increased to prevent crimes such as theft, mugging, and robbery during the Eid holiday. Strict surveillance will be maintained in gold markets across the city, including Old Dhaka, while adequate police presence will be ensured at recreational centers.

Police officials said security has already been tightened at shopping malls, kitchen markets, and wholesale markets. Additional police and RAB personnel have been deployed at sensitive locations, roads, installations, bus terminals, railway stations, and launch terminals. Special teams are working to apprehend muggers, robbers, and members of criminal groups known for drugging or incapacitating victims.

Sources at DMP headquarters said that from the first day of Ramadan, over 1,000 additional police personnel have been deployed at shopping centers. At night, special duties are being carried out with extra officers from eight crime divisions. Around 4,500 DMP members patrol the city daily in three shifts using 300 pickup vans. In addition, 1,500 officers conduct foot patrols, while regular motorcycle patrols continue. About 4,000 police members work in three shifts each day to manage traffic, and they have been armed to help control crime.

DMP Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam said the police’s focus during Eid is twofold: ensuring that people can return home from terminals without harassment, and securing residential areas that become vacant. He noted that empty homes are at risk of burglary, so sufficient patrols will be maintained. Large shopping malls and gold markets will also be under special surveillance to prevent robberies.

Before and after Eid, nearly 1,000 members from RAB units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 are working to maintain law and order in Dhaka.

RAB’s Director of Legal and Media Wing, Wing Commander MZM Entekhab Chowdhury, said that like the police, RAB has also developed a nationwide security plan for the Eid holiday. Based on analysis of recent years, incidents of theft and mugging tend to rise between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am in the capital. More than 30 checkpoints and over 50 patrol teams are operating daily in identified high-risk areas of Dhaka.

He added that RAB’s cyber monitoring team is working to prevent rumors and misinformation. Mobile courts are active to stop ticket black-marketing, while patrol teams are working on highways to prevent robberies. Dog squads and helicopters have also been kept ready to respond to any situation.