Why DMP still struggles to become fully functional

Highlights: TBS

With the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, several Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) stations and installations—like many across the country—faced attacks, looting, vandalism, and arson.

To restructure this devastated police force, the interim government later initiated various reforms, including the dismissal of many senior officers and mass transfers.

However, law and order in the capital has yet to stablise with the DMP apparently struggling to get back to its previous shape and level performance.

According to DMP data, 68 murders have occurred over the past two months. At least 192 murder cases have been filed, most of which relate to incidents that happened before 5 August. Additionally, there have been 10 cases of robbery, 35 of mugging, 37 of abduction, and 81 cases of burglary filed.

Regarding DMP's current state and the city's law and order, this reporter spoke with the officers-in-charge of five police stations under Dhaka Metropolitan area and two assistant police commissioners.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said most of the officers recently transferred to DMP are unfamiliar with Dhaka's maze of alleys. They also face a significantly higher workload compared to their previous districts, along with shortages of personnel and vehicles.

Additionally, the fear of cases over the July massacre still looms over police members, preventing them from fully resuming their previous level of effectiveness, they added.

Several officers have already been arrested in connection with the shooting during the student protests. Recently, the International Crimes Tribunal has requested information about DMP officers who were on duty during the student-led uprising.

A senior DMP officer told TBS that many officers who were on duty during the student protests are still in Dhaka. The request for information from the Tribunal has created a sense of fear among them. There is anxiety about potential lawsuits, transfers, and even job losses.

"With such pressure, it's hard to work effectively," he added.

The police headquarters has recently begun re-verifying police officers who were recruited during the Awami League government's tenure through five BCS exams.

One of the officers recruited during the AL-period regime, who works in a DMP division, said, "Our family has no political affiliation, but the situation is such that everyone recruited during that period is seen as aligned with the Awami League. This new re-verification has created a sense of fear."

Requesting anonymity, he added, "If I lose my job now, it will be very difficult to support my family."

Manpower, vehicle crisis

There is also a shortage of vehicles in the police stations under the DMP after a large number of police cars were torched and vandalised during the unrest. Where there used to be 6-7 vehicles per station, now there are only 3-4. Most of these vehicles are old.

The officer-in-charge of the Jatrabari Police Station under DMP said last week, "We have four vehicles. One was provided by the DMP after 5 August, and the remaining two were borrowed from the Tejgaon Police Station."

Shahbagh Police Station's OC Khaled Mansur mentioned that due to the transfers, there has been a shortage of police officers at the station. "We don't have enough constables, though many have been posted. I hope the situation will improve once everyone reports for duty."

Most units under the DMP have yet to overcome the shortage of officers. In the eight divisions of the Detective Branch and Traffic Police, it has not been possible to appoint a deputy commissioner for each. As a result, one deputy commissioner is currently overseeing two divisions.

According to the organisational structure of the DB Ramna Division, there should be one deputy commissioner, three additional deputy commissioners, and two assistant commissioners.

However, nearly three months after the political changeover, only one additional deputy commissioner and one assistant commissioner have been assigned. Additionally, one deputy commissioner is overseeing both the Ramna and Motijheel divisions.

Challenges in adjusting to Dhaka 

An SI transferred from Rajshahi to the DMP said, "I'm having some difficulty getting familiar with Dhaka's roads. In Rajshahi, I knew everything well, so there were no issues. But here, it's tough to adjust to the capital city, and the workload is overwhelming."

He added, "Once the situation stabilises, I hope to transfer out."

Another SI who transferred from Khagrachhari to the Ramna Division shared, "This is my first time in Dhaka, and everything here is new. The workload is also much heavier."

A police officer transferred from Sirajganj mentioned, "It's challenging to arrest criminals here because the police stations now barely have any informants."

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury recently acknowledged that transferred police officers are indeed struggling to adapt to Dhaka's environment.

Skilled manpower crisis in DMP specialised units

The DMP has a specialised unit named the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC). Members of this unit are specially trained in bomb disposal and cyber-related issues. Recently, many police officers from this unit have also been transferred.

A senior officer from the unit, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TBS in the first week of this month, "New officers are joining various divisions under CTTC, and many of their subordinates are also new. We will need to arrange additional specialised training for them."

He questioned, "For the officers who received specialised training at government expense, how much of that expertise will they be able to apply in other districts?"

He added that if terrorism resurges in the new situation, members of the unit will face challenges.

The DMP's additional commissioner and CTTC chief could not be reached by phone for a comment over the issues.

Talking to TBS yesterday, Faruk Hossain, joint commissioner of DMP (crime), said law and order is improving and the DMP is also gradually recovering from the scars of July-August turmoil.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad told TBS that police officers are still reeling from trauma. He recommended engaging with the community and students to make field-level police officers fully functional again.