The capital city of Dhaka is often described as the city of "52 bazaars and 53 lanes"; with a population exceeding two crores, crimes frequently occur across the capital.
However, since the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August, Dhaka’s police force has been notably inactive, and a large-scale reshuffling has taken place within the country’s largest police unit, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Many police officers have already lost their jobs or been arrested for their involvement in the massacre committed during the July-August uprising in support of the Awami League. Others, to avoid arrest, remain in hiding.
Meanwhile, those returning to work have been transferred to different ranges and units outside of the DMP. This significant reshuffling has affected ground-level policing, leading to a surge in criminal activity, including theft, robbery, and muggings.
Officials close to the situation believe transferring all officers who had long served in the DMP at once was unwise.
They argue that officers accused of close ties to the Awami League or direct involvement in shooting protesters during the anti-discrimination movement could have been transferred, while those neutral and professional should have been retained.
They further contend that policing in district areas and within the DMP are not the same, as the nature of crime differs.
Many officers brought into the DMP from various districts and ranges have not yet grasped the demands of their new assignments, especially when it comes to quickly responding to incidents or arresting suspects. One major reason for this delay is their unfamiliarity with the city’s layout.
According to DMP sources, more than 16,000 officers and personnel from 50 police stations and various departments within the DMP have been transferred, with most already having taken up their new posts.
Several sub-inspectors (SIs) transferred to the DMP after working in remote district stations shared their struggles.
They noted that the nature of crime in district stations differs significantly from that in Dhaka. In the DMP, in addition to 12-hour shifts, officers are burdened with routine administrative tasks, leaving them overwhelmed. Most of these newly arrived SIs lack local informants, crucial to identifying criminals on the ground.
As a result, they often turn to former batchmates and colleagues who previously worked in the DMP for assistance.
One SI, with nearly 12 years of service and now working in the DMP for the first time, shared his experience under the condition of anonymity. After working for eight years in a specific district, he said, "I won’t stay in the DMP for long. I’m here because I was posted here. There’s an enormous workload. Being suddenly separated from my family and working day and night, I’ve already grown weary in just a month. We aren’t used to this level of work. Patrolling in a car for 12 hours and then conducting investigations for cases—it’s overwhelming. Earlier, even after a full day’s work, it didn’t feel like a burden. Now it does."
Speaking of his field experience, this officer added, "In the district I worked, it didn’t take long to apprehend a suspect after a crime. But here, I don’t even know the roads. How can I catch a suspect? They don’t stay on the main roads. All the alleys in Dhaka seem the same to me. I don’t know anyone here. How can I identify criminals after an incident? People here aren’t afraid of the police anymore. We’re the ones afraid of them, not knowing when we might face a complaint."
On 5 August, attacks and looting occurred at 22 police stations across Dhaka. Important documents and numerous weapons were stolen.
DMP headquarters’ September operation statistics show that after the government's deadline, 35 weapons of various models were recovered in October, most of which were found by joint forces.
Additionally, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered, along with grenades and weapon magazines.
A total of 284 cases have been filed against police personnel in Dhaka, involving both current and former officers. Allegations suggest that over a hundred police officers masterminded the shooting of protesters during the movement. Many have already been arrested.
The highest number of cases has been filed against former DMP Additional Police Commissioner Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, with 38 cases. Following him, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun faces 36 cases. Ex-DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman has 33 cases against him, while DMP Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar faces 27. The head of the Special Branch, Monirul Islam, has 11 cases against him. Most of these are murder cases, and additional police commissioners, assistant police commissioners, officers-in-charge (OCs), inspectors, SIs, and constables are all implicated. The highest number of cases, 91, has been filed against the Jatrabari Police Station.
Since 5 August, 2,037 cases have been filed in the 50 DMP stations, including 286 murder cases related to the student movement and subsequent deaths during the anti-discrimination protests. However, details on the number of arrests remain unavailable.
Dr Touhidul Haque, associate professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at Dhaka University, and a criminology expert, commented on the situation, stating that following the July uprising, there is public pressure on the police to restore order. Transfers within the police force are not unusual.
However, like any major city, Dhaka is a jungle of crime, requiring a mix of experienced and new officers. If everyone is replaced at once, it will take time for them to adjust.
Crime control requires coordination, which is not the task of a single officer. Instead of bringing in new officers, those with no major allegations against them and who have maintained their integrity should have been retained. Otherwise, while new officers take time to adapt, criminals will gain ground, he added.
Regarding the public's expectations of the police and improving DMP services, Dr Haque suggested building psychological resilience among new officers, listening to the problems of field officers, and providing counselling to enhance performance. He also noted that discussions within the police force on such issues are rare.
Former DMP Commissioner and Additional IGP Khondker Golam Faruq commented that following such a large-scale revolution, it is expected that all sectors will face some problems initially, but these issues will be resolved in time. He remarked, "The officers who were here before were once new too, and those now arriving will also adjust soon."
Asked if any measures could be taken to address the mental stress caused by excessive duty hours, DMP’s 35th Commissioner mentioned that the current leadership could arrange mental health counselling if deemed necessary.
