DMP Plans 5,000 Vehicles for Polls

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has drawn up an extensive plan to requisition around 5,000 vehicles to support law enforcement and logistical operations during the forthcoming parliamentary election and referendum in the capital. The vehicles will be used to deploy police and other security agencies, transport election materials, and ensure round-the-clock patrols before, during and after polling day. Significantly, the plan does not rule out the requisitioning of privately owned vehicles, despite previous High Court observations discouraging such practice.

According to senior DMP officials, the requisitioning process is expected to begin from 7 February. An official involved in the preparations said that if operational necessity arises, privately used vehicles may also be taken into service for election duties, adding that this would not constitute any breach of existing rules. The DMP maintains that the measure is being considered purely in the interest of public order and electoral security.

DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Anisur Rahman stated that the scale of the election requires a large and diverse fleet of vehicles. He outlined that approximately 2,400 buses, 30 trucks, around 1,100 lagunas and more than 1,000 microbuses may be required. These vehicles will be allocated not only to the police but also to a total of nine agencies involved in election-related duties, including the Bangladesh Army, Ansar, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and several organisations from the telecommunications sector.

Indicative vehicle requirements for election duties

The Home Ministry had earlier issued a circular on 6 January regarding the deployment of law enforcement agencies for the election and referendum. The directive instructed agencies to prioritise the use of their own vehicles and, where necessary, to hire or requisition additional transport in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations.

DMP officials point out that the force has been facing an acute vehicle shortage since violent incidents during and after the mass movement of 2024, when several police stations in Dhaka were set ablaze and looted. Over the past year and a half, the police have not received vehicles in line with their operational needs, making requisitioning unavoidable, particularly during large-scale events such as national elections.

Under the plan, some vehicles may be requisitioned for three days, others for five days, while a number could remain in use until 9 February. Although the law allows vehicles to be requisitioned for a maximum of seven days, there have previously been complaints that vehicles were held for longer periods and that owners were not always compensated properly.

Section 103A of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance states that, notwithstanding any other law, the Police commissioner may, by written order, requisition any vehicle for a period not exceeding seven days if required in the public interest, provided that the owner is paid compensation at a prescribed rate.

Responding to questions about the High Court’s stance, Anisur Rahman said the court’s ruling contains certain observations but does not completely bar the requisitioning of private vehicles in cases of government necessity. In July 2019, the High Court had directed that private cars, CNG-powered auto-rickshaws and taxicabs be excluded from the list of requisitionable vehicles, a full verdict of which was published in June 2022.

The DMP has assured vehicle owners that they will receive a written requisition notice specifying the date, time and place for reporting. Any damage incurred during election duty will be compensated, drivers’ meals will be arranged, and owners will be paid in line with regulations. However, the police have yet to clarify how compensation rates will be calculated, how much advance notice will be given, or which areas will be targeted for requisitioning, leaving several practical details unresolved ahead of the polls.