An overwhelming majority of Bangladesh Police personnel have expressed support for reinstating the force’s previous uniform, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Police Headquarters, although the government says reforming the mindset of law enforcement remains a greater priority than changing attire.
The survey found that about 96% of participating police members prefer the old uniform over the recently introduced design.
Bangladesh Police, which has an estimated strength of more than 200,000 personnel, gathered the feedback after Police Headquarters sought opinions from officers across the country regarding the uniform change.
Survey reveals strong preference
According to data compiled by Police Headquarters, a letter signed by DIG (Controlling) Md Kamrul Islam on February 1 instructed district-level welfare meetings to collect feedback from police personnel.
A total of 108,641 members of the force participated in the survey. Of them:
104,913 supported reinstating the previous uniform
911 supported retaining the new uniform
2,817 preferred another type of uniform
The results indicate overwhelming internal support for returning to the earlier dress.
District police units gathered opinions through special welfare meetings held across the country. The feedback collected during these meetings was later sent to Police Headquarters through the respective Superintendents of Police.
At a welfare meeting held at the Narsingdi Police Lines, most officers present supported returning to the previous uniform. Similar views were reported from meetings in other districts.
One officer who attended the Narsingdi meeting said the police uniform represents more than appearance.
“A police uniform symbolizes responsibility, discipline and public safety. Considering practicality, design and acceptance, the previous uniform is more suitable,” the officer said.
Government stresses institutional reform
Despite the survey results, government officials have indicated that changing uniforms alone will not address deeper issues within law enforcement.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters on Wednesday, Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government’s primary focus remains on improving law and order and strengthening institutional reform.
“Changing the uniform alone does not change the mindset,” he said, adding that no final decision has yet been taken regarding the police dress.
Bangladesh Police Headquarters has confirmed that the survey results will be submitted to the government through official channels.
AHM Shahadat Hossain, Assistant Inspector General (Media and PR) at Police Headquarters, told Dhaka Tribune that determining the police uniform ultimately falls under government authority.
He said the government will review the findings and decide which uniform is most appropriate for the police force.
Mixed reactions to new design
The new uniform design was introduced during the tenure of the interim government as part of broader reform initiatives within law enforcement.
Under the plan, different colours were proposed for several forces: iron colour for the police, olive for the Rapid Action Battalion, and golden wheat for Bangladesh Ansar and the Village Defence Party.
The police insignia was also redesigned, replacing the previous boat symbol with elements including the national water lily and sheaves of rice and wheat.
While the new logo reportedly received broad acceptance, many police personnel voiced dissatisfaction with the colour scheme of the new uniform.
Sources say that during the interim government’s tenure, roughly 40% of police members had begun wearing the new dress. However, complaints about the design and colour choice surfaced frequently, often anonymously in media reports. Some officers even criticised the colours as reflecting “poor aesthetic judgment.”
In a separate earlier survey involving 100 police personnel, 95 said they were not interested in wearing the new uniform, while the remaining 5% declined to comment.
Distribution plans stalled
Initially, the new uniforms were distributed among specialised units such as railway police, industrial police and several metropolitan police units, including those in Dhaka.
There had been plans to gradually distribute the uniforms to district-level units, but the process was never fully implemented.
Sources also say that although police traditionally switch to summer uniforms with short-sleeved shirts from March 16 each year, no new uniforms have yet been allocated or supplied. As a result, officers are likely to continue wearing the previous short-sleeved uniform during the upcoming summer season.
Reform efforts after political change
Following the student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, which resulted in the fall of the previous government, authorities launched a series of reform initiatives within the police force.
These measures included proposals to redesign uniforms, insignia and institutional structures in an effort to reshape the image and functioning of law enforcement.
However, the latest survey indicates that while structural reforms may continue, most members of the police force prefer to retain the uniform they have long worn while carrying out their duties.