TDS Desk:

Operation Devil Hunt Phase–2, a nationwide crackdown on crime and the recovery of looted police weapons, has resulted in officers coming under attack during raids. On January 19, a mob assaulted two officers in Dhunat, Bogura. The incident followed a nighttime attack in Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur, where gunmen fired on Rapid Action Battalion personnel, killing one member. Police data show that, on average, nearly two officers are attacked each day during operations. Crime analysts say these assaults signal rising disorder.

The latest attack occurred in the early hours of last Friday in Mymensingh’s Haluaghat. Officers flagged down an unregistered motorcycle during a vehicle check, sparking a confrontation with the rider named Leon. He told police he was the son of the local Swechhasebak Dal leader and threatened them before fleeing. Officers later were conducting their patrol duties near his home, when he attacked policemen from behind with a ramda (bladed weapon). Leon, later arrested, is the son of Haluaghat Upazila Swechhasebak Dal convener Md Ruhul Amin and a known political worker for BNP joint general secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince.

“Leon struck Constable Md Izaul Haque Bhuiyan on the back after being provoked by his father. The blow left a deep wound,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (Admin and Finance) Md Abdullah Al Mamun, citing preliminary interrogation.

Police headquarters data show 601 attacks on officers nationwide last year. March recorded the highest number with 96 incidents. Monthly attacks numbered 38 in January, 37 in February, 52 in April, 62 in May, 44 in June, 39 in July, 51 in August, 43 in September, 69 in October, 41 in November, and 29 in December. This averages 1.6 officers attacked daily during operations. The figure marks a sharp rise from six years ago when annual attacks were around 450. It stood at 449 in 2020, rose to 608 in 2021, dipped slightly to 601 in 2022, then reached 607 in 2023. Last year proved the most violent yet, with 643 officers targeted.

A coordinated nighttime attack targeted police in Sunamganj’s Dowarabazar upazila on January 18 at around 10:30 pm. Assailants in the Maularpara area of Banglabazar Union No. 1 ambushed a group of officers, seizing two police motorcycles. Sub–Inspector Md Mijanur Rahman later filed a case as the plaintiff.

A day earlier in Dhunat, Bogura, officers were attacked at a vehicle checkpoint. Constables Abdul Khaleque and Abdul Hamid, acting on Traffic SI Abul Kalam Azad’s orders, set up the post at Hukum Ali Bus Stand around 10:30 am. Azad fined a motorcyclist for not wearing a helmet. While releasing another rider with valid documents, two individuals mobilised a mob, claiming the officers had demanded a BDT 1,000 bribe. Both constables were injured in the attack.

Crime analysts say police returned to duty determined after the student–led uprising in 2024. Changes were also made to their uniform. Yet effective law enforcement has not materialised. Murder, abduction and extortion have become routine, while mob violence spreads as police fail to assert authority. Criminals have exploited this weakness and become more organised. Analysts say that ensuring officer safety in the field is the first step in reversing the crisis.

Dr Tawohidul Haque, associate professor and criminology expert at the University of Dhaka’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research, said assaults undermine the moral authority of law enforcement. Speaking to journalists, he said: “In the past year, attacks on the police have occurred repeatedly. Particularly whenever the police have sought to enforce the law, such assaults have taken place. Officers have been pressured to name or drop suspects in cases. There have even been incidents of suspects being snatched from police stations. The kind of support and measures necessary to control crime are not being provided to the police. On the contrary, there are examples of them being blamed or pressured for others’ gain.”

He further said, “Whenever the police refused to bow to unlawful demands, they faced attacks. While assistance was needed to help the police stand firm, the opposite has happened. This has created various obstacles to their ability to respond effectively. Those responsible for such attacks must be identified and held legally accountable; otherwise, maintaining law and order in the country won’t be possible.”

Assistant Inspector General (Media and Public Relations) AHM Shahadat Hossaine said officer safety remains the top priority. “Authorities are pressing charges against anyone who attacks police personnel,” he told journalists. “No one involved will be spared.”