Chaos continues in Bangladesh as authorities scramble to bring law and order under control

Chaos in Bangladesh as police absent, students manage traffic, businesses demand law and order restoration amid unrest.

Students carried out traffic management as volunteers for the second consecutive day on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) in Bangladesh, as a top police official called on every member of the police force to resume their duties gradually and maintain law and order.

“Chaos reigned supreme in Bangladesh after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Monday (August 5, 2024), with police absent from their duty to keep law and order or manage traffic,” local media reports said.

Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) A. K. M. Shahidur Rahman, who was appointed as the focal person of the Bangladesh Police on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) to handle the current crisis, called on every member of the police force to resume their duties gradually and maintain public safety and law and order.

The students, including members of Bangladesh Scouts, were seen controlling the traffic movement at several places, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. 

“The police are friends of the people and work for the public. We cannot imagine a society without the police. Therefore, I request our police members once again to ignore rumours and return to their duties in a phased manner, ensuring that security arrangements are properly in place,” said Mr. Rahman, who has now been appointed as the Director General of RAB in a fresh reshuffle on Wednesday (August 7, 2024).

“There were reports of attacks on police stations and facilities across the country on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), resulting in numerous police casualties, which have led to this unprecedented situation,” the newspaper said.

The authorities reconstituted the top positions of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Wednesday (August 7, 2024). “AKM Shahidur Rahman has been appointed as Director General of RAB while Md Mainul Hasan will replace Habibur Rahman as the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police,” news portal Prothom Alo said.