Can the Bangladesh Police Recover?

On August 11, a high official in the Bangladesh police resigned, noting the force has transformed into a “public enemy.”

In his resignation letter, Md Moniruzzaman, an additional deputy inspector general with the Tourist Police in Khulna-Barisal, said, “Over the past 10 years, I was compelled to carry out illegal orders from ministers linked to the Awami League (AL) government.”

These orders, he added, were “brutal and barbaric,” designed to protect an unlawful regime and extend the power and financial gains of certain high-ranking officials.

Moniruzzaman’s resignation came at a time when Bangladesh was grappling with the aftermath of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. Hasina had been in power since 2009, becoming Bangladesh’s longest-serving premier amid accusations of a growing authoritarian streak.

Hasina’s resignation and self-exile on August 5, driven by a massive student-led movement that started over the reintroduction of quotas for government jobs, unleashed a wave of unrest across the South Asian nation. Amid the protests, not only Hasina’s government but also Bangladesh’s police force, long seen as an instrument of political repression, crumbled under the weight of public anger.

As jubilant crowds filled the streets to celebrate the end of Hasina’s rule, the situation quickly spiraled out of control, leading to widespread violence and the near-total collapse of law enforcement in Dhaka and beyond.

Even up until August 4, the police, alongside Hasina’s party activists, were brutally attacking protesters during demonstrations. The crackdown resulted in the deaths of over 400 people – mainly students and ordinary citizens – and left tens of thousands wounded. The violence cemented the police’s image as “executioners.”

“The police force is packed with Hasina’s political partisans who did everything to uphold her fascist regime,” said Mahmud Ul Haque, a student activist from University of Dhaka. “They are the executioners of this genocide where hundreds of my brothers and sisters were brutally murdered and wounded. No human with a conscience can carry out such genocidal orders.”