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No police at sight, rows of burnt vehicles in front of charred police stations

Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter

Publish: 06 Aug 2024, 10:30 PM

No police at sight, rows of burnt vehicles in front of charred police stations

Symbolic Image

In front of the police station, rows of burnt-out vehicles were lined up.

The building’s collapsible gate was smashed, and inside, the scene was one of devastation, with documents scattered across the floor.

The station had been looted, with firearms and other items stolen. There were no police officers present.

This was the scene at the Mohammadpur police station in the capital today, Tuesday. Similar conditions were observed at other stations, including Adabor and Mirpur.

Around 11:45 a.m. at the Jatrabari police station, three bodies were discovered outside the building—two in police uniforms and one with handcuffs still on.

When asked, Md. Faruk Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of the Media and Public Relations Department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told Prothom Alo that most of the police stations have been vandalized, set on fire, and looted of weapons.

Given this situation, it is unclear how the police will be able to perform their duties.

The Mohammadpur police station is located beside Satmasjid Road. Local residents reported that protesters had surrounded the station all day on Monday.

They heard heavy gunfire in the afternoon, and by evening, the police had abandoned the station. Soon after, the station was raided and looted by vandals.

Today, around 11:30 a.m., an on-the-ground inspection revealed that the three-story police station building, which had been set on fire, still stood.

There were about a hundred vehicles in the station’s compound, including those used by the police and those seized by them. Most of the vehicles were vandalized, while the remaining ones were set ablaze.

On the ground floor, the offices of the Officer-in-Charge (OC) and other officers were heavily damaged. The second floor, including the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Mohammadpur region, was burned black.

Documents were scattered across the floor. On the third floor, the police barrack and mess area showed police uniforms hanging on the walls, and bedding and personal belongings were scattered and ruined.

Police officials reported that the vandals stole telephone sets, computers, air conditioning units, firearms, and other supplies from the station.

On the opposite side of the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, on Khilji Road, is the office of the Tejgaon Division's Deputy Commissioner. According to the police, faced with attacks from protesters, Deputy Commissioner H.M. Azimul Haque and other staff members fled the scene. Subsequently, vandals broke into the office.

Today at noon, it was observed that the area was littered with broken glass. The main gate of the Deputy Commissioner’s office was damaged.

Vandals had stolen items including air conditioners and office supplies, and had broken into the reception and office rooms. Following the vandalism, another office adjacent to the Deputy Commissioner’s office was set on fire twice. The fire service managed to extinguish the flames on both occasions.

Mubarak Ali, Deputy Assistant Director of the Fire Service at the scene, told Prothom Alo that the fire service extinguished the fire at night and then again in the morning when it was reignited.

Adjacent to Mohammadpur Ring Road is Adabor Police Station. Military presence was observed there. In front of the station, four burned-out police vehicles were lying on the ground.

The station building had been vandalized. Vehicles impounded by the police were also set on fire on the road opposite the station. Yesterday morning, teenagers were seen removing parts from the burned vehicles.

According to the police, during the evening of the previous day, police personnel fled the Adabor Police Station in the face of attacks from protesters. Since the main gate of Adabor Police Station was locked, entry into the building was not possible.

Around 12 p.m., a visit to the front of the Police Headquarters in Fulbari revealed that no police personnel were present. The main gate was locked.

However, a few people were found in the reception area. They identified themselves as security staff from the Police Welfare Trust and stated that the main building of the police headquarters had been looted and vandalized the previous day. They did not allow the reporter to enter the premises.

Earlier, around 11:30 a.m., at the gate of the Detective Branch (DB) office on Minto Road in the capital, a few individuals were seen performing duties.

They identified themselves as police officers and claimed that no officers were inside and that there had been no vandalism. However, they did not allow anyone to enter the office. During this time, no one was seen in the DB reception area.

Around 11:40 a.m., at the Media Center on Minto Road, no one was found. The outer gate was locked. Similarly, no police personnel were seen at the main gate of the DMP Headquarters around the same time, and the gate was also locked.

—--

Publisher: Nahidul Khan
Editor in Chief: Dr Saimum Parvez
Editor (English version): Faisal Mahmud

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