Earlier, it was commonly said, "The police and local trains seldom arrive on time." However, it seems now the police don’t even arrive at all, not even on rare occasions.
Many places are devoid of police presence. Even on busy roads, the police are nowhere to be seen. Traffic management seems to be running on an "in the name of God, we proceed" system.
Recently a man selling vegetables from a mobile stall said, "Someone stole the battery from my van. That person is lucky he wasn’t caught. If I had caught him, I would have beaten him to death because there’s no police and no case would have been filed."
This suggests that people now believe that in many areas of the country, there is practically no police presence.
There are no police patrols. Ever since the shooting during student protests, the public no longer respects the police as they used to. They are no longer willing to listen to the police. Instead of following the law, people now want to do whatever they please.
The ‘open secret’ across the country today is that the police chain of command is no longer functioning. The entire command structure has collapsed. If a senior officer instructs a subordinate to go right, there’s no guarantee they will comply.
For a long time, this was perceived merely as public perception. However, last Sunday, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sarwar Jahan of the Ramna Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police was overheard telling a senior officer on his mobile, "Sir, this force cannot be run like this. No one is following orders. The police cannot function like this." It left no doubt in anyone’s mind that the chain of command of police has broken down.
According to a report in Prothom Alo, Sarwar Jahan had ordered his subordinates to remove auditors protesting in front of the Audit Building at Kakrail, who were blocking the road. However, like Nawab Siraj-ud- Daula’s army standing before Robert Clive’s forces, Sarwar’s team of officers stood motionless.
The report states that the auditors were blocking the road, and despite repeated requests over a loudspeaker to clear the area, they refused. Sarwar then gave them a five-minute ultimatum. When they didn’t move, he instructed his officers to advance. However, apart from a handful of officers, no one else moved.
Even after repeated urgings from DC Sarwar, some constables and sub-inspectors openly told him, "Sir, we cannot go into action."
Sarwar asked, "Won’t you listen to me?" To which one officer replied, "We can’t, sir."
At that moment, many officers were overheard saying to each other that no matter what, they would not move forward. One sub-inspector was heard telling the constables, "No matter what the sir says, just stay quiet."
Frustrated, DC Sarwar then called a superior officer and said, "Sir, no one is listening. Despite my repeated orders, no one is moving forward."
It’s not unusual for individual officers to show allegiance to a political party. However, if a large number of officers openly defy orders and say, "Sir, I won’t follow your command," then this becomes a serious issue
This is not a trivial incident. It is, in fact, quite alarming. The police are a disciplined force, and the chain of command is their primary strength. There is no room for anyone to act outside the command structure.
When a constable dares to tell a deputy commissioner of police, "I won’t follow your orders," it indicates that the chain of command within the force has broken down. There is serious disorder within the force.
Since the final days of the Hasina government, the relationship between the police and the public had become, in some cases, like that of a mongoose and a snake.
Thousands of people were injured or killed in police shootings at that time. Many police officers were also injured or killed by protesters. The antagonistic relationship that developed between the police and the public has not yet normalized.
The reality is that the police are still struggling to present themselves in a straightforward manner to the public. They feel that the public no longer respects them. This feeling can become a psychological barrier for them when attempting to break up protests.
However, a senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that "a large number of officers in Dhaka were appointed during Sheikh Hasina’s government, and they no longer want to listen to orders."
Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Nurul Huda has also stated that the close relationship between police officers and political parties is responsible for the current state of the force.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, between 2009 and 2023, a total of 119,919 constables, sub-inspectors, and sergeants were recruited. Analysts believe that over the decade and a half of the Awami League government, the police were used as a tool to maintain power.
It’s not unusual for individual officers to show allegiance to a political party. However, if a large number of officers openly defy orders and say, "Sir, I won’t follow your command," then this becomes a serious issue.
If this situation is not quickly addressed, the disciplined police force could transform into a disorderly one.
* Sarfuddin Ahmed is Assistant Editor, Prothom Alo and can be reached at
sarfuddin 2003 @gmail. com