On August 5, the day Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country, Vatara police station, like many others across Bangladesh, became the target of mass outrage. In a wave of nationwide attacks against the police, angry mobs stormed and vandalized the station, leaving it in ruins.
The extent of the damage was so severe that even after almost two months, the police from Vatara station have not been able to resume operations in their own building.
For the time being, the station's activities are being carried out from a building within the Gulshan police station.
Talking to the police at Vatara station revealed that on the afternoon of August 5, hundreds of angry people attacked the station, vandalized and looted it, and set it on fire, leaving the entire station complex in ruins.
The damage was so extensive that the police have not been able to return to their own building till now.
Currently, operations are temporarily being conducted in a new building inside Gulshan police station campus. Repair work on the Vatara station is ongoing.
During a recent visit to the police station, it was revealed that the station's signboard at the gate was broken, and the top floors of the three-story building were blackened by fire.
Outside the main entrance lay the burnt remains of many cars and motorcycles.
A few police officers were seen standing guard. Inside the building, repair work was in progress.
Some people arrived at the station for services and were informed that Vatara's operations were being conducted at the new building in Gulshan.
Private sector employee Sweety Begum came from Badda with a complaint that Sunday afternoon and had to go to Gulshan.
Rickshaw driver Jeher Ali came from Kalachandpur to file a general diary (GD) about his stolen mobile phone, and he also had to go to Gulshan, where he filed the GD in the new building.
Several police officers at Vatara station, recalling the events of August 5, said that around 100 officers, including the officer-in-charge (OC), were present when the attack occurred.
They saw the OC making calls to senior police officials for help, but no response came from the higher authorities.
Thousands of people surrounded the station, attacking, looting, and eventually setting it on fire.
Many officers had to flee to the rooftop to save their lives.
Unable to stay there, some climbed down trees adjacent to the building and mixed with the crowd to escape.
Many were injured while coming down, while others were able to escape with the help of local residents.
According to sources at the station's evidence room, 35 private cars and 100 motorcycles of various models were burned in the attack and arson.
Additionally, 400 mobile phones, 5 laptops, 25 computers, and various other items were either looted or damaged.
Cash amounting to Tk600,000, 46 grams of gold, and several valuable stones were also looted.
Most of these items had been seized and stored at the station in connection with different cases.
Sub-Inspector Shamsur Rahman, in charge of the station's evidence room, said that people are now calling and threatening him, demanding the return of the looted and burnt items.
"They are saying they will file cases against me if I don't return their belongings. How can I return them? Where will I find them? Even though I try to explain, they refuse to understand," he said.
Vatara police station OC Mohammad Mazarul Islam said that 45 government-issued firearms were looted from the station, some of which have been recovered, while the rest remain missing. “Before the attack, the station had five patrol cars; now, only three remain. Two new ones have been approved and will be added soon. However, we still haven't been able to return to our own building.”
He also mentioned that since the incident, they have been operating out of the new building at Gulshan police station, and other than the lack of their own infrastructure, everything is functioning smoothly.
DMP Assistant Police Commissioner (Badda zone) HM Shafiqul Rahman said that it will take about another week to resume limited operations at the Vatara station’s own building, but it will take even longer to fully restore it. Due to the shortage of vehicles, patrol operations are also limited.
However, he assured that conditions would soon return to normal and that DMP headquarters has been providing all necessary support.
