Although police personnel have begun returning to their posts, they have yet to resume their duties in full uniform following the countrywide unrest at the wake of the ousting of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August.
Instead, they are occupied with organising and repairing the damage at police stations, messes, and other affected sites.
Operations have resumed in 599 out of 639 police stations across the country, including 97 out of 110 metropolitan stations and 502 out of 529 district stations, as reported by the Police Headquarters on Sunday (11 August).
A visit to Mohammadpur Police Station revealed that a few army personnel were managing security at the station. A table with some books and registers was set up in front of the main gate, where a soldier was seen reading a newspaper. However, the interior of the station was deserted.
The duty officer's room, along with those of the officer-in-charge and other officials, was found in disarray, with broken tables and signs of burning everywhere.
Nevertheless, on Saturday, students from various educational institutions in Mohammadpur cleaned the fire-damaged station. Although the rooms were tidied up, many burnt items still lay in heaps throughout the premises.
Discussions with the stationed army personnel revealed that while most police officers had reported back to work, they left after signing in, as the station was not yet ready to provide services.
On the second floor of the building, no police officers were found. Instead, a man was seen fixing a broken door latch. Upon inquiry, it was learned that he was Maulana Didarul Islam, who has been leading prayers at Mohammadpur Police Station for 16 years. His room, like the others, had been looted.
Maulana Didarul recounted, “I have been offering prayers here for 16 years. Police officers come and go, but I have been here for all this time. There is a deep attachment to everything. I saw everything burn in front of my eyes, but I couldn’t save anything. I was attacked while trying, but I survived. They took everything from the station, even the air conditioner, fan, and the rack that held the Quran in the prayer room.”
Referring to the attack, Maulana Didarul said, “On the evening of the 5th, after the news of the Prime Minister’s resignation, I saw one jubilant procession after another passing in front of the station. Shortly after, the station was attacked. Every room was ransacked and looted, including weapons. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t save anything.”
DMP officials have stated that many police stations, including Mohammadpur, which were slated to resume operations, are still unable to provide services. The lack of essential documents, furniture, and computers, most of which were looted, has rendered service delivery impossible.
Additionally, concerns over personal safety have led many officers to avoid donning their uniforms even after reporting to work.
Stations like Jatrabari, Kadamtali in the Wari division, Khilkhet in the Gulshan division, Uttara East in the Uttara division, and Paltan in the Ramna division, remain too severely damaged to begin operations.
