At least 361 police officers were injured in separate attacks while carrying out their duties across Bangladesh during the first seven months of this year, according to figures from police headquarters. The incidents have ranged from attacks during arrests and attempts to free suspects from police custody to assaults allegedly carried out by criminals, suspected militants and groups involved in drug-related activities.
Dhaka has recorded the highest number of such incidents. The latest and most serious case came in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, where Special Branch sub-inspector Altaf Hossain was killed after allegedly being subjected to repeated attacks by a group of criminals.
The police figures show that 82 officers were injured during January and February combined, followed by 63 in March, 66 in April, 55 in May, 51 in June and 42 in July. The figures indicate that attacks have remained a persistent challenge throughout the year rather than being confined to a particular month.
The previous year also saw a significant number of police personnel injured while performing their duties. A total of 601 officers were reported injured in attacks during that year. The monthly figures were 38 in January, 37 in February, 96 in March, 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 41 in December.
Concerns over police morale
The killing of Altaf Hossain in Savar has intensified concerns within the police about the risks faced by officers working in the field. Both the Bangladesh Police Association and the Bangladesh Police Service Association condemned the incident.
Police Association president Inspector Kamrul Islam Talukdar alleged that a section of people was deliberately attempting to weaken the morale of uniformed officers by obstructing them in their professional duties and physically assaulting them. He said those attacking police officers should be brought under the law and face the strongest possible punishment.
He also called for greater public cooperation with law enforcement agencies. Police officers, he argued, work for public safety and cannot effectively maintain order when members of the public obstruct operations or assist suspects in resisting arrest.
Criminal and militant attacks
The incidents reported since the country’s changed political circumstances in 2024 have involved a wide range of threats. Police personnel have faced attacks while pursuing suspected robbers, drug offenders and militants, as well as while attempting to arrest wanted criminals.
On 21 February, a routine police checkpoint in the Kutubkhali Pocket Gate area of Jatrabari, Dhaka, was attacked. A police constable on duty was stabbed and a group of youths allegedly detonated cocktails before fleeing. Police later recovered five cocktails and a bag containing explosive materials from the scene. An investigation by the metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism unit reportedly found links to members of the militant organisation Neo-JMB.
In May, a team from Dhanmondi Police Station came under attack while attempting to arrest suspected robbers in Mohammadpur. Police opened fire during the confrontation, injuring one alleged robber. Earlier, three police officers, including the officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station, had also been injured in an attack.
A separate incident occurred in March near the Saidabad railway line in Jatrabari, where an inspector of the Department of Narcotics Control, Siddiqur Rahman, was shot while conducting an anti-drug operation.
Police have also been attacked in Rayerbazar, Mohammadpur, during an anti-drug operation. Four officers, including three sub-inspectors, suffered serious injuries after allegedly being attacked by members of a juvenile gang.
Violence extends beyond Dhaka
The problem is not limited to the capital. Police officers in several districts have also faced violent resistance during operations.
In Chattogram, officers came under attack while attempting to arrest listed top criminal Wakil Hossain Boga in the Wireless More area. Attackers allegedly hurled bricks and stones and detonated cocktails, injuring at least six police personnel, including Khulshi Police Station officer-in-charge Abdur Rahim.
In another recent incident in Chattogram, several officers were reportedly injured by gunfire while attempting to arrest a listed criminal. In Patuakhali’s Laukathi area, police constable Shahidul Islam was seriously injured while trying to control a clash between two groups. He was allegedly attacked with a machete and beaten with an iron rod.
Suspects being freed from police custody
Some incidents have gone beyond physical attacks, with groups attacking police to free suspects from custody.
On the night of 2 September, police were taking Asir Mia, a suspect in several cases, into custody at Damodardipi Point in Shantiganj, Sunamganj, when relatives and associates allegedly attacked the officers and freed him after a struggle. After escaping, Asir Mia reportedly appeared in a live broadcast on social media while still wearing handcuffs.
He was rearrested the following day in a joint operation by the district detective police and Sadar Police Station from a restaurant in the town.
A similar incident occurred in the char areas of Narsingdi in July. A group of around 40 to 50 people allegedly attacked police with sticks and bricks while officers were taking Selim Munsi, an accused in three cases including murder, to the police station. The suspect was freed during the attack, while several officers were injured.
Earlier in the year, police in Mymensingh and Bagerhat also faced attacks in which suspects were reportedly snatched from custody, including while still handcuffed. Similar incidents have been reported in Munshiganj, Faridpur, Jashore and Moulvibazar.
Experts warn of wider law-and-order risks
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Nasir Uddin Samrat described the attacks on police as a matter of serious concern. He argued that if law enforcement officers themselves become frequent targets of violence, maintaining public order becomes increasingly difficult.
Criminologist Rezaul Karim Sohag, chairman of the Department of Criminology at the University of Dhaka, linked the recurrence of such incidents to weaknesses in the enforcement of criminal justice. He said punishment is intended not only to hold offenders accountable but also to deter further crime. If offenders repeatedly avoid effective legal consequences, he warned, similar offences may continue.
He also raised concerns about public confidence in the justice system. According to him, when accused individuals facing multiple cases are released on bail and subsequently become involved in further offences, confidence in the broader legal process can be weakened. Ensuring that allegations are properly investigated and that proven offenders face lawful punishment is therefore essential to maintaining public trust.
Former Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam similarly argued that a perception of impunity can encourage further attacks. He said police officers must be allowed to perform their duties within the law if the authorities are to maintain effective law and order.
Police seek to rebuild confidence
Police officials acknowledge that the force is attempting to recover from the challenges created by the country’s changed circumstances. Additional Superintendent of Police Ziaul Haque said repeated attacks during operations could make officers more hesitant about entering high-risk situations, particularly when pursuing drug offenders and criminals.
He stressed that arresting offenders and bringing them before the law is a core responsibility of the police, with the wider public ultimately benefiting when criminal activity is effectively controlled. Police and ordinary citizens, he said, should not regard one another as opposing sides.
Additional Deputy Inspector General Shihab Kaiser Khan also called for public support. Referring to the Savar killing, he described the death of Altaf Hossain as particularly tragic, noting that the officer had reportedly identified himself before being attacked. He urged people from different sections of society to support police officers performing lawful duties.
According to Khan, efforts are under way to rebuild the police force, encourage officers at different levels and restore its operational capacity. The continuing attacks, however, demonstrate that restoring morale alone will not be enough. Officer safety, lawful policing, public cooperation and effective accountability will all remain crucial to maintaining public order.
Last month, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government was working simultaneously on modernising law enforcement agencies, improving personnel morale and encouraging officers to serve the public. At a programme in the capital on 26 August, he said the forces had been found in a fragile and weakened condition but that their situation had improved over the preceding six months. He also said efforts were being made to restore morale and strengthen their capacity to combat crime.
The government has pledged to make Bangladesh Police more public-friendly while introducing changes to the legal framework governing law enforcement agencies and strengthening accountability and transparency.
The growing number of attacks, meanwhile, presents a difficult test. Police must be able to carry out lawful operations without becoming easy targets, while allegations of misconduct or excessive force must also be addressed through proper investigation and judicial processes. Balancing effective law enforcement with accountability will be central to rebuilding public confidence and ensuring that officers can perform their duties safely.
