Dhaka Metropolitan Police

History

During a major reorganization and expansion of Bangladesh's national police forces, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was established on 1 February 1976 to maintain law and order in the country's capital and largest city. It initially had 6,000 personnel in 12 police stations. With the rapid population growth of the city, the need for an expanded and better-equipped police force increased. The government planned a major expansion of police. Consequently, the establishment of 50 police stations has been completed. The number of personnel has been expanded, with newer ranks and officer corps. During the tenure of Asaduzzaman Mia as DMP Commissioner, general diary (GD) format was introduced in every police station, an e-traffic prosecution system was introduced, and information of Dhaka residents was stored on a digital database to reduce crimes.

Holey Artisan attack

The attack started at about 21:40 local time on 1 July 2016. Alerted by the gunfire, Dhaka Metropolitan Police detective Rabiul Karim and officer-in-charge Salauddin Khan started to investigate. Other police officers responded, arriving at the restaurant. The attackers then engaged in a shootout with the police. Police cordoned off the area around the restaurant and planned a rescue raid. The attackers however threw grenades and opened fire, killing officers Karim and Khan.

DMP Commissioner, Asaduzzaman Mia, and several officers struck inside and opened fire on the militants in an attempt to rescue civilians from the site. 9 people were brought back from the site in the attempt. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was briefed by the Commissioner and she instructed him to move away with his men and informed him the Army Chief Belal Shafiul Huq was on his way from Sylhet. He has been known as one of the figurehead who contributed in uprooting terrorism from the country.

Organisation

The current strength stands at around more than 34,000 (including ministerial staff) personnel and 50 police stations. The DMP is divided into 42 divisions headed by five additional commissioners aided by joint commissioners, deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners. Here is the DMP organogram in brief:

1. Headquarters and administration: Additional commissioner administers the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters. Joint commissioner assists with 10,500 officers by governing arms of the police, handling appointments, training, logistics, supplies and other administrative functions. Additional commissioner has 15 divisions under his supervision.
2. Crime and Operations commissioner administers and oversees the functions of all city police stations. Joint commissioners are responsible for providing security to VIPs, members of parliament, government officials, foreign dignitaries and others. Commissioner has 14 divisions under his supervision.
3. Detective and Criminal Intelligence: This division is responsible for fighting organised crime, homicide, theft, drug trafficking, crimes against women and human trafficking. He has 9 divisions under his supervision.
4. Traffic: Additional Commissioner (Traffic) is the traffic police of the city, regulating vehicular traffic, speed and parking laws, pedestrian and road security. Eight divisions are under his supervision.
5. Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime is a specialized branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police comprising 600 officers, formed in 2016, to tackle terrorism and transnational crime. There are seven divisions are under his supervision.

SWAT

The SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) is another elite tactical unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police which was established on 28 February 2009. SWAT is operated under the Special Action Group of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Cyber Crime Investigation Division

The Cyber Security & Crime Division, more commonly known as the Cyber Crime Division, is a branch of Bangladesh Police which is operated under the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

SWPC

Female officers were first inducted into the DMP in 1978.{{cite news |title=Women in the Police |url=http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/02/21/news0230.htm

The Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police was created in 2008 to specifically track female criminals involved in activities such as prostitution, drug smuggling and human trafficking, theft, homicide and swindling. With increasing proportions of female criminals in Bangladesh, the SWPC, composing entirely of female officers, would be used to gather intelligence that men are seen as less capable of gathering.

The Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) was established in 2008 with the objective of creating a specialized unit composed exclusively of women to investigate crimes involving female offenders. Bangladesh Narcotics Control Department reported that as many as 100,000 people were engaged in drug trafficking, of whom 40 percent were women. Bangladesh Police considered male officers to be less effective than women in gathering information and investigating crimes involving women and had already been using female police officers more in tackling crimes involving female criminals. As an all-women force, the SWPC is the first of its kind in Bangladesh's history.

Bangladesh Police plan to raise such units across the country. Currently, there are roughly 2,000 women officers in Bangladesh Police - less than two percent of the total force and one-third of whom are deployed in Dhaka. Bangladesh Police plan to train and hire 3,000 women officers to bolster the SWPC. An Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Dhaka SWPC who leads a detective force of 24 women officers.

Thana list of Dhaka Metropolitan Police

1. Adabor
2. Airport
3. Badda
4. Banani
5. Bangshal
6. Bhashantek
7. Cantonment
8. Chackbazar
9. Dakshin Khan
10. Darus-Salam
11. Demra
12. Dhanmondi
13. Gandaria
14. Gulshan
15. Hatirjheel
16. Hazaribagh
17. Jattrabari
18. Kadamtoli
19. Kafrul
20. Kalabagan
21. Kamrangirchar
22. Khilgaon
23. Khilkhet
24. Kotwali
25. Lalbagh
26. Mirpur Model
27. Mohammadpur
28. Motijheel
29. Mugda
30. New Market
31. Pallabi
32. Paltan Model
33. Ramna Model
34. Rampura
35. Rupnagar
36. Sabujbag
37. Shah Ali
38. Shahbag
39. Shahjahanpur
40. Sher e Bangla Nagar
41. Shyampur
42. Sutrapur
43. Tejgaon
44. Tejgaon Industrial
45. Turag
46. Uttar Khan
47. Uttara East
48. Uttara West
49. Vatara
50. Wari

The DMP also collaborates and maintains organizational links with the Bangladesh Ansar, Border Guard Bangladesh, Special Branch, Bangladeshi intelligence community, Rapid Action Battalion and other national security agencies.

Controversies

• Mahbubur Rahman Sujon, a small trader, was arrested by sub-inspector Jahidur Rahman of Mirpur police station. He was killed in custody in July 2014. SI Jahidur, who was previously stationed in Pallabi area, was also involved in the custody death of Jony, arrested from a Mirpur Bihari camp. Jahidur was taken into custody as a murder case over the death of Sujon had been filed against him and six other accused in July 2014 after the incident. Sujon's wife had filed the case under Torture and Custodial Death (Protection) Act, 2013; the investigation was handed over to Detective Branch. Officer in Charge of Mirpur Station Salahuddin Khan was also accused of being involved by Sujon's wife. Salahuddin Khan was killed in the July 2016 Dhaka attack by terrorists.
• In March 2014, Jisan, a 17-year-old student, of Dhaka City College was arrested by police from Dhanmondi Police Station. He was allegedly tortured by sub-inspector Sahidul Biswas, who demanded 1 million taka to end the torture. Jisan's father gave 0.4 million taka to plainclothes individuals inside the police station. Jisan had to be admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for his injuries. Dhaka Metropolitan Police denied the allegations of torture.
• In January 2015, three teenagers were killed in police custody in Mirpur police station. The teenagers were handed over to police on accusation of attempted arson during Bangladesh Nationalist Party protests. Police claimed they died from mob beating. This was contradicted by evidence that the teenagers had 56 bullet injuries.
• On 7 April 2015, Uttara West Police station claimed that they tortured a suspect in custody following directives of senior police officers.
• In November 2016 Dhaka Metropolitan Police asked the Directorate General of Health Services not to release the detailed autopsy report of people killed in Crossfire with police to the press.
• On 3 December 2019, sub-inspector Mostafizur Rahman and 5 other police officers of Uttara west police station were sued at for allegedly extorting a banker of Sonali Bank.
• On 16 January 2014, Tapan Chandra Saha, officer in charge of Uttara west police station was sued for the death of man in custody at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court. The deceased's wife alleged that her husband was tortured in custody and she paid 50 thousand taka in bribes. On 24 January 2020, the court ordered Detective Branch to investigate on the incident.
• In 2020, police commissioner Shafiqul Islam removed a loyalist officer of Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Benazir Ahmed after publicly accusing him of corruption.

Police commissioners

References

References

1. "History of the DMP". Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
2. "DMP – New Initiatives". Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
3. "Outgoing DMP commissioner regrets failure to bring about discipline on the roads". [[Dhaka Tribune]].
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5. "Families of 4 slain policemen get PM donation - National". The Daily Observer.
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7. "Police to root out extremism from country, says DMP chief". New Age.
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9. "DMP – Protection Division". Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
10. "DMP – Detective Division". Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
11. (2018-05-21). "Cybercrime on the rise". The Daily Star.
12. (2018-12-01). "Counter Terrorism".
13. "History of the Bangladesh Police".
14. "Official Facebook page".
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16. (2008-08-30). "Bangladesh raises new unit of women police". Zee News.
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18. "Youth dies in Mirpur police custody". New Age.
19. "Mirpur SI remanded". New Age.
20. "OC sued, judicial probe ordered". New Age.
21. (2014-07-21). "Wife sues Mirpur cops". The Daily Star.
22. "Police officer Jahid, source remanded in police custody". Prothom Alo.
23. "Banani OC killed as hostage crisis intensifies". NTV.
24. (2014-07-24). "Cops needed Tk 10 lakh". The Daily Star.
25. "Supreme Court must intervene to stop abuse of police remand". The New Nation.
26. "Torture claim on Jisan baseless, ill-motivated". Banglanews24.com.
27. (2016-02-22). "Police role questioned as probe going nowhere". The Daily Star.
28. "Uttara West police lodge complaint saying top brass ordered torture of suspect by colleagues in the East". bdnews24.com.
29. (2016-11-11). "Police against revealing details of crossfire deaths to media {{!}} Dhaka Tribune". Dhaka Tribune.
30. "Corrupt cops made crores of taka: HC". New Age.
31. (2020-01-04). "A dubious death". Dhaka Tribune.
32. (2020-01-16). "Uttara west police OC, 3 other cops sued over trader's death". Dhaka Tribune.
33. (2020-02-28). "Four (custodial) deaths and an alibi". The Daily Star.
34. "Court orders probe against Uttara OC, 3 others". New Age.
35. (2020-10-25). "Power struggle in Bangladesh police revealed - Netra News".
36. (2024-11-20). "Baharul Alam new IGP, DMP commissioner also changed".
37. "IGP, DMP Commissioner removed". Dhaka Tribune.
38. (30 September 2023). "Habibur Rahman takes charge as 36th DMP commissioner".
39. (29 August 2019). "Shafiqul made new DMP commissioner". The Daily Star.
40. "Former Commissioners".