Senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) officers have been told that station-level commanders and zonal deputy commissioners will be held accountable if political marches, gatherings or other disruptive incidents occur within their jurisdictions without adequate preventive measures.
The directive was issued at the DMP’s monthly crime review conference on Monday (14 December), where senior officers assessed crime trends in the capital during August and discussed preparations for maintaining law and order in the days ahead.
According to several DMP officials who attended the meeting, police have been instructed not to rely solely on operations after an incident has taken place. Instead, officers must gather intelligence in advance about possible marches, gatherings and disruptive activities and take preventive measures before a situation escalates.
The meeting also stressed that enforcement decisions should be based on specific evidence rather than political identity. Police were instructed to strengthen surveillance at entry points to Dhaka, important locations and night-time checkpoints. Verification of tenant information and closer cooperation with community policing groups were also included in the instructions.
DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed chaired the conference. Additional commissioners, joint commissioners, deputy commissioners of the Crime Division and officers-in-charge of all 50 police stations attended.
Gulshan incident prompts review
The recent incident in Gulshan received particular attention during the meeting. AFM Anwar Hossain Khan, deputy commissioner of the Detective Gulshan Division, said the discussion focused on intelligence gaps, the timing of information received by police and whether earlier preparations could have helped prevent the gathering.
He said no individual police officer had been singled out as solely responsible for the incident. Instead, the meeting examined how coordination and advance preparations could be improved to deal with similar situations in the future.
Following the unexpected march in Gulshan, instructions were issued to increase surveillance at Dhaka’s entry points so that people arriving from outside the capital cannot engage in disruptive activities. Security measures at important locations and night-time checkpoints are also to be strengthened, including block checks where required.
Police have also been instructed to collect information about suspicious individuals before any offence takes place and to take legal action where there is sufficient basis to do so.
The conference heard that police received information about last Friday’s Awami League march in Gulshan from an intelligence agency only eight minutes before the gathering. Gulshan police responded immediately after receiving the information, but officials acknowledged that such a short warning leaves limited scope to prepare for and contain a large gathering.
The episode prompted discussion about the need for earlier intelligence and faster communication between agencies and field-level police units.
OCs and DCs to face greater scrutiny
The conference made clear that local police cannot simply attribute failures to intelligence agencies. If a march or other serious incident occurs within a particular police station’s jurisdiction, the OC and the relevant zonal DC are expected to take primary responsibility for managing the law-and-order situation.
Operational shortcomings or failure to perform duties could result in the officers being brought under scrutiny and, where necessary, changes being made to the relevant unit.
A Crime Division official who attended the conference said Commissioner Ahmed had made it clear that ineffective units or officers could be replaced. Negligence and unprofessional conduct would not be tolerated.
The commissioner’s message to field officers was blunt: “Where the work is not being done, there will be changes.”
Intelligence agencies urged to share information
Coordination among intelligence and security agencies was another major issue at the meeting.
Police were instructed to maintain regular communication with the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), National Security Intelligence (NSI), the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit and other relevant agencies rather than depending only on police-generated intelligence.
Information about possible marches, gatherings or acts of sabotage should be passed to the appropriate field units without delay, allowing officers to assess risks and deploy resources before an incident develops.
At the same time, the conference warned against indiscriminate arrests or harassment in the name of preventing political activity.
Officers were told that a person should not be arrested simply because of previous political affiliations or support for a particular political party. Those directly involved in a march should instead be identified through specific evidence, including photographs, video footage and information-technology-based analysis.
An OC said image and video analysis would be used to identify people directly involved in such activities. He stressed that political identity or suspicion alone should not become the basis for detention or harassment.
Police officers were also warned against seeking financial benefits by threatening people with arrest. Such conduct, officials said, would attract strict action.
Preventive policing receives greater emphasis
Several officers said a significant portion of the commissioner’s instructions centred on preventive policing — identifying risks and taking action before crimes or disruptive incidents occur.
The approach requires police to collect advance intelligence, identify vulnerable locations and monitor suspicious movements rather than waiting for an incident before beginning an investigation.
The DMP commissioner also instructed officers to regularly collect and preserve information about guests staying in residential and other hotels across the capital.
An additional deputy commissioner-level officer from the Tejgaon Division said police had been directed to verify information about new tenants and update records of existing tenants. Particular attention is to be given to suspicious sublets, temporary accommodation and people who have recently arrived in Dhaka.
Community policing and local surveillance
The conference also placed emphasis on community policing as a means of improving local intelligence.
OCs have been instructed to maintain regular contact with local representatives, respected community members, community policing personnel and residents. The objective is to ensure that people feel able to alert police quickly if they notice unfamiliar individuals or suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods.
Officials said local information can help police identify potential risks at an early stage, particularly in densely populated parts of the capital where movements of people can be difficult to monitor through conventional policing alone.
OCs told to remain at stations
The presence of OCs at their police stations was another matter discussed at the conference.
Officials referred to recent incidents in which the OC of Tejgaon Police Station was reportedly absent when the Home Minister visited, while the Inspector General of Police Ali Hossain Fakir and the DMP commissioner also reportedly did not find the OC at Paltan Police Station during a visit.
Following those incidents, Tejgaon Police Station OC Kyashainyu Marma and Paltan Model Police Station OC Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Khan were withdrawn from their positions.
A joint commissioner-level officer said the incidents had led to stricter instructions regarding the presence and responsibilities of OCs. Officers in charge are expected to remain at their stations during duty hours and perform their responsibilities properly.
They have also been told to wear the prescribed uniform while on duty. If an OC must leave the station for an emergency, the reason should be recorded in the general diary and responsibility formally handed over to a senior officer.
Maintaining discipline within police stations has also been emphasised. Negligence, disorder or unprofessional conduct could result in accountability measures against the officers concerned.
Action against snatching and youth gangs
The DMP has separately instructed police to intensify operations against snatching and youth gangs.
Officers are to divide responsibilities by area and ensure that no locality is left without adequate security coverage. Crime-prone locations should be identified and subjected to regular patrols and increased surveillance.
The instructions reflect a wider effort to make policing more intelligence-led and preventive, while retaining visible police presence in areas where crime risks are considered higher.
Dozens arrested after Gulshan incident
The conference was also informed that joint operations by the Detective Branch and local police had resulted in the arrest of around 50 to 70 people in connection with the Gulshan incident.
Officials said some of those arrested had travelled to Dhaka from outside the capital. People from areas including Bogura, Gopalganj, Alfadanga and Harirampur were among those identified, with several reportedly working in different professions in Dhaka.
Five waiters from a Chinese restaurant were also arrested, according to information presented at the meeting. Officials said people working as security guards and autorickshaw drivers were also being examined as part of efforts to identify those allegedly connected with the incident.
The conference ultimately placed responsibility on police at several levels: intelligence must reach field units early, local commanders must be prepared to respond, inter-agency communication must remain active, and officers must be accountable for their performance.
At the same time, the DMP has stressed that preventive policing should not become a basis for arbitrary action. Political identity alone is not sufficient for arrest, and legal measures are expected to be supported by specific evidence. The emphasis, officials said, is on preventing disorder while maintaining discipline, professional standards and accountability within the police force.
