Will the pro-Awami League DMP officials return to work? 

Former Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Habibur Rahman, Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Haroon Or Rashid, Joint Commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarkar, Khandakar Noorannabi are among at least 57 senior officials known to be pro-Awami League or close to the fallen government have been missing in action.

This also includes senior policemen in the rank of additional deputy commissioner of police and additional IGP. Only crime department members have been working at the DMP headquarters, TBS got to know after talking to officials at the DMP headquarters on 11 August. 

However, according to DMP sources, up to 95% of policemen have resumed work.

When asked about these officers who have not returned to work, the DMP Commissioner Mainul Hasan said they have not been able to find out why the police officials did not return to work yet. He also expressed hope that they would rejoin soon.

Earlier on 11 August, Brigadier General (Retd) Sakhawat Hossain, adviser for the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the government will consider any policemen not reporting for duty within the upcoming Thursday as unwilling to continue working.
 
He also said everything that has happened in recent days will be subject to an investigation. "The judiciary will adjudicate based on the investigation…There is no need for anyone to be afraid. No innocent person will be harmed in any way."

Addressing the public, he said, "Do not assault the police. You surely understand the necessity of the police.

That same day, at the DMP headquarters, policemen joined work in plain clothes. The DMP logo and police stickers were seen removed from their vehicles.

Except Additional Commissioner Dr Khandkar Mohiduddin and Joint Commissioner Sanjit Chandra Roy, most of the senior police officers who held important positions during the previous government did not join work. Their colleagues couldn't even tell where they were as many of their phones were switched off. Similarly, most of the officers in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police did not work on Monday (12 August).

By 4pm on Monday, DMP's Badda Police Station had the officer-in-charge along with some policemen performing duty in plain clothes. Two new computers were installed on Sunday with internet connection provided. The process of lodging General Diary (GD) and complaints started in the afternoon. 

A young man named Abdul Bashed lost his bank account documents and came to file a GD. 

"It took some time. But it is comforting that police stations have revived operations," he told TBS.

Officer-in-Charge Abdus Salam Mia, "We want to return to 100% operations soon."

Similarly, police have returned to their stations across the country. 

A message from the Bangladesh Police said out of the total 639 police stations in the country, 628 police stations started operations. A total of 108 out of 110 police stations in the metropolitan area and 520 out of 529 police stations in the districts started working. 

As the remaining 11 police stations were completely damaged and necessary logistics, furniture and other equipment were destroyed, it was not possible to start operations but perhaps in the next 2-3 days.

Army and Ansar members were seen on guard for security in some police stations.

Reshuffling

According to DMP sources, five additional police officers have already been removed and five new have been posted. 

After attaching the DC Headquarters, DC Mirpur, DC Traffic Mirpur, DC Logistics and DC Detective Gulshan to the DMP headquarters, five additional superintendents of police who were deposed during the Awami League government have been appointed now as acting deputy commissioners in these posts.