A year on, police still in recovery mode while army assists

Highlights:

• Police collapsed after Hasina's fall, army assumed security role
• Mob violence surged; 195 killed in beatings over one year
• Police morale remains low, officers fear mobs and reprisals
• Interim government preparing police, army for February 2025 elections
• Mass transfers left DMP officers inexperienced, struggling with city duties
• Police reforms underway, but independent commission demand remains unfulfilled

Last August, when Sheikh Hasina fled, her home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and the police followed suit – and the Bangladesh Army came to the rescue of public safety.

In the two weeks following the ouster of the Awami League government amid the July-August 2024 mass uprising, most police stations remained deserted, some were torched and vandalised, and officers were nowhere to be seen on the streets.

Law and order broke down completely, with spikes in crimes such as sexual harassment and assault of women – some even in public, robbery, mob violence, and extortion.

For instance, in March, two young women were publicly harassed in Dhaka's Lalmatia by a local man for smoking at a roadside tea stall. Mob violence has since become a growing menace, with repeated incidents of lynchings. Most recently, two Hindu men were lynched in Rangpur.

With the police force ineffective, the army, with renewed magistracy powers, remains engaged in aid to civil administration for what may be the longest period in the country's history, a role expected to persist until next February's general election.

A year after the regime change, the Bangladesh Police is still struggling to regain the morale lost over the atrocities committed by its members during the uprising and to reestablish its role as the first line of defence against public disorder.

With public anger still lingering in memory, officers are now exercising greater caution when responding to safety calls.

In some cases, officers themselves feel vulnerable to mob violence and politically motivated pressure groups, with frequent reports of on-duty policemen being attacked or harassed by agitated crowds. This is where the country's key law enforcement agency – the first responders to crime scenes – now stands, according to rank-and-file officers interviewed by TBS.

While the force remains under public scrutiny for failing to curb mob violence and rampant extortion, field-level officers fear departmental action if their superiors consider their measures "excessive".

The incumbent police chief told TBS the force is now exercising restraint, adhering to a five-stage use-of-force protocol as recommended by the Police Reform Commission.

The commission's five-step use-of-force framework includes: deploy officers visibly but non-aggressively; maintain a safe distance using barriers or positioning; manage crowds with non-violent techniques like dispersal waves; use less-lethal weapons when needed; and resort to lethal force only for self-defence or property protection, with strict limits.

"As a result, there have been no major casualties from police action despite various agitations and protests by different groups," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam told TBS recently.

According to Police Headquarters data, at least 479 cases of attacks on cops have been reported nationwide since September last year, including 96 in March and 62 in May this year.

"Just check social media, there are plenty of videos showing policemen being harassed, assaulted and in some cases severely injured while performing their duties, whether stopping vehicles on the wrong side or attempting to arrest drug dealers. If we [police] don't have any safety, how can we ensure citizens' rights?" says a sub-inspector recently posted to the DMP.

After the interim government, led by Prof Yunus, assumed office on 8 August 2024, Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain was appointed as home affairs adviser. 

However, due to criticism over his perceived failure to restore law and order, he was later replaced by Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, who also faced public scrutiny and calls for his resignation amid ongoing security challenges.

Currently, preparing the police administration for the February elections appears to be one of the interim government's major tasks.

A three-month training programme for 150,000 police personnel on election duties will begin in September, according to chief adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.

Home Adviser Jahangir recently stated that over 80,000 members of the Bangladesh Army will be deployed during the upcoming national election.

Although the army continues to support the police administration, restoring the force is crucial for public security, as it still appears weak.

Many new recruits are adjusting to their roles, some former officers remain at large, and several officials face trials for their actions during the uprising.

Former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, and others are reportedly facing charges of crimes against humanity.

'195 lives lost to mob violence in a year'

Despite repeated vows from the home adviser to the police chief to act against mob violence, police have largely failed to control mob violence nationwide.

According to Ain o Salish Kendra, mob beatings claimed at least 195 lives over the past year – 96 between August and December 2024, and 89 between January and June 2025.

After a journalist was brutally hacked to death in Gazipur recently, Metropolitan Police Chief Nazmul Karim Khan admitted that police are no longer fully capable of protecting citizens.

He noted that restoring the force will take time, adding, "Three policemen aren't even working at the same strength as one did in the past. But we're trying; it will take time."

Police morale remains low

TBS spoke with over three dozen policemen – from constables to additional IGPs – and officials in remote districts to gauge the state of the force. A common theme emerged: officers still lack confidence and motivation to perform their duties.

An additional superintendent of police in Dhaka, wishing to remain anonymous, said sub-inspectors are the heart of the police, handling investigations, arrests, and patrols.

"Before the mass uprising, they could respond to 7-8 cases per 10 incident requests; now they manage barely 2-3. With political pressures and ubiquitous mobs, who will risk their lives to ensure safety?" he explained.

A traffic sergeant said even without a ruling party in power, some leaders and activists flout traffic rules. Attempts to enforce the law lead to harassment and misbehaviour.

A sub-inspector at the Special Branch shared another concern: a relative's Hi-Ace microbus was hijacked in Khilkhet, but the nearby police initially refused to even register the case. Only after intervention from a student coordinator was it filed.

TBS has identified another factor behind the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's ineffectiveness: the transfer of nearly 40,000 officers after allegations of postings during Hasina's regime.

DMP headquarters did not provide official figures, but an insider said about 85% of the force was moved and replaced by personnel from other parts of the country. "They are still struggling to navigate the city and are largely unfamiliar with local areas," the official added.

Home Adviser Jahangir also acknowledged the issue months ago, saying at a public gathering, "They are newcomers in the metropolis; it will take some time to adjust."

On the ground, policemen told TBS they are still struggling with Dhaka's environment and workload. "It's like a labyrinth, still managing," said one constable posted in Dhaka for the first time.

A sub-inspector explained the demotivation: "We are ordered to act against mob violence, yet those of us who did so faced show-cause notices, transfers, or departmental action.

"We're given orders, but when consequences arise, no one stands with us. The hierarchy doesn't take responsibility – they just transfer or dismiss us."

Police reforms in progress, but key changes lag

IGP Baharul told TBS that many recommendations from the Police Reform Commission are being implemented, such as the five-stage use of force (up from three stages) and assigning a female duty officer to every station, which has helped prevent major casualties despite ongoing agitations.

He, however, said the recommendation to interrogate accused in glass-enclosed rooms remains unimplemented due to structural constraints, and the ministry has been informed.

He said while some proposals are followed, the key recommendation – to form an independent commission for police reform – has seen no progress. "Without this, public-friendly policing cannot be achieved," he said.

In March, the IGP told TBS he would visit every district to hear grassroots officers' concerns. However, dozens of policemen said most of their demands remain unmet.

Officers said the reform agenda is still just a piece of paper and the IGP has failed to revive the morale of on-ground officers, who are mentally battered and unable to act firmly against angry mobs.

Meanwhile, the independent police commission – the core demand of thousands of officers – has already been shelved by the ministry, they said.