On August 5, after the ouster of the Awami League government, over 500 police stations across Bangladesh, including Kamrangirchar police station under Dhaka Metropolitan Police, came under attack. Vehicles, equipment and property were vandalized, looted, and set on fire. The authorities are still engaged in efforts to recover from the damage two months later.
Following the change in government, a reshuffling of personnel occurred at various police stations. However, despite two months having elapsed, the reshuffling process at Kamrangirchar police station is not fully complete.
While many of the previous officers have been transferred, new officers have not all arrived yet, preventing the police station from operating at full capacity.
Police officers said when the Awami League was in power, the force was used politically, which led to the unprecedented attacks on August 5.
The new government was replacing the old officers with new ones to restore public trust in the police and ensure proper service, they added.
According to sources at Kamrangirchar police station, most police officers, including the officer-in-charge (OC), have been transferred. Thirty-eight new members, including an OC, an inspector (investigation), sub-inspectors (SI) and constables, have joined the station.
The remaining officers were expected to arrive gradually, said the new OC, Amirul Islam.
This police station serves three wards (55, 56, 57) of Dhaka South City Corporation. The area primarily consists of low-income families, with many small factories.
The station often receives complaints related to drugs, gambling, teen gangs, theft, and family disputes. On average, around 50 complaints are filed daily, and in the absence of a full police force, crime rates have soared, according to several police officers and locals.
SI Md Ali Jinnah, who recently joined, said people were coming in with various complaints every day, particularly related to lost mobile phones and family disputes.
Another officer, Mujibur Rahman, said most had received transfer orders and were hesitant to start new cases, creating a temporary stagnation in operations.
Activities at the station resumed on August 11, about a week after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime. Currently, there are two inspectors, 20 SIs, 14 ASIs and 29 constables at the station. Thirty-eight new officers have already joined the station.
From August 5 to September 30, 16 cases related to extortion, assault, land grabbing, and drugs were filed, and 2,531 general diaries (GD) were recorded for complaints involving family disputes, social issues, and lost items.
OC Amirul said previously the station had 140 officers, but most had since been transferred. “The station's activities are expected to return to normal once all new officers have joined.”
He added that the police were responding to any issues immediately, and the local residents had warmly welcomed the police presence.
“Currently, there is a positive relationship between the police and the community, and one vehicle is enough to manage most situations,” the officer said.
The OC emphasized that the police were striving to be true friends of the people, not just in words but in action.
“Discussions are underway to strengthen the relationship between the police and the public. Efforts are also being made to address public dissatisfaction with the police, and morale is being boosted among officers to improve the quality of service,” Amirul mentioned.
“In the past, local panchayat (village council) committees resolved minor disputes in towns and villages. In line with instructions from the Police Headquarters, we have formed citizen committees to help control crime in specific areas. Three citizen committees have been established for the three wards under the station, each comprising 15 members, including local political leaders, representatives from educational institutions, business owners and respected community members. A six-member coordination committee oversees each citizen committee, with the hope that this will help curb crime swiftly.”
What happened on August 5
On the afternoon of August 5, after news spread of the Awami League government’s fall and Sheikh Hasina’s flight to India, thousands of people took to the streets. At around 2:45pm, some individuals set fire to several police vehicles in front of Kamrangirchar police station and started throwing bricks at the establishment.
For about eight hours, police officers were trapped inside the station.
Finally, just after midnight, they managed to leave the area while firing blanks to disperse the attackers.
Constable Moktar Hossain recounted the day saying they had been aware of the attacks on other stations but believed their station would be spared as they had not “committed any injustices.”
“In the afternoon, the first attack occurred on parked vehicles outside the station. At about 5:30pm, attackers entered the compound and set more vehicles on fire. They eventually left after officers fired a few warning shots, but continued hurling brick chips from the street.
“We were unsure of what to do. The erstwhile OC, Jubayer, attempted to contact his superiors but received little response. At 11:30pm, a decision was made to evacuate to the Lalbagh DC office, with some local BNP leaders offering us assurance of safe passage. Around 12:30am, we left while firing blanks. After we left, the attackers looted the station. We later learned that the building’s owner arrived at around 3am and regained control, preventing the station from being completely destroyed.”
Extent of damage
Kamrangirchar police station operates from a five-storey rented building, with the station’s main activities on the ground and first floors, and police barracks on the upper floors.
During the attack, various items, including weapons and ammunition, were looted from different rooms. The OC’s office, the duty officer’s room, living quarters and the storeroom were heavily looted.
Six firearms, 32 rounds of ammunition, and 12 magazines were stolen. Six official vehicles were set on fire, 40 vehicles were vandalized and 15 motorcycles belonging to police officers were looted.
Computers, monitors, printers, photocopiers, bulletproof vests, helmets, handcuffs, and other police equipment were also stolen.
According to police estimates, the total damage, including both official and personal property, amounts to at least Tk3 crore.
