Bangladesh crisis: Cops, facing wrath of citizens amid student protests want their jobs back, ground report

As Bangladesh grapples with political turmoil, the challenge for police officers – the first responding agencies to control the situation – is to explain to the citizens that they had no role to play in the former Sheikh Hasina-led government’s handling of the massive protests. One of the key reasons behind the citizens’ anger is last month’s ‘shoot-on-sight’ order that was issued by the former Prime Minister’s administration. With the 77-year-old now out of the country, and Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus trying to bring the country back to normalcy, police officers are demanding restoration of their jobs.

A protest was staged by several policemen outside the police headquarters on Sunday. These men, mostly constables, were suspended by the Sheikh Hasina-headed government. India Today TV spoke to these protesting policemen, who demanded restoration of their jobs.

One policeman, Karim, told India Today TV that the order to take strict action on the protests was not their decision but orders by Sheikh Hasina’s government and senior police officials.

He said that because of following the former government’s orders, police officers are now bearing the brunt as the citizens are under the impression that they teamed up with the former Prime Minister to crack down on the protesters.

“Our jobs were wrongfully snatched by Sheikh Hasina’s government. We are protesting because we want the restoration of our jobs, with the seniority we had, and with complete respect,” another policeman told India Today TV.

The protesting policemen wore a desperate look as they were seen urging a senior police official to give them their jobs back in front of a deserted police headquarters – now guarded by the Bangladesh Army.

Following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and escape on August 5, at least 76 police stations in Bangladesh were set ablaze by mobs by dawn the next day. A day earlier, as many as 13 police officers, including an officer-in-charge, were beaten to death at a station in Sirajganj.

HINDUS REMAIN IN FEAR

Incidents of attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, have gripped Bangladesh in the aftermath of the student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. New chief adviser Muhammad Yunus has pleaded with the citizens to not attack the Hindus and instead protect them. However, the question now remains is when the situation will become completely normal.

Since Friday, there has been no incident of attack on Hindu minorities. Meanwhile, the Muslims of Bangladesh are scared that their identity as a Bengali-speaking nation may vanish if it becomes an Islamic country.

Talking to India Today TV, they said that the identity of Bangladesh is a Bengali-speaking nation where both Muslims and Hindus live together.

Niaz, who runs a business in Dhaka, feels the same and said that the image of the country has been tarnished due to some fundamentalists attacking and targeting Hindus under the guise of the student demonstration.

“Many Hindus live with us, and we are protecting them in these difficult times. Those who did wrong to them are not our people,” Niaz told India Today TV.

The headquarters of Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League was the first target of protesters on August 5. Party supporter Karim Ul Haq told India Today TV that the protesters not only broke into the party office but also looted goods worth lakhs of rupees. Several rooms of the building, including Sheikh Hasina’s, were torched or vandalised.

During the chaos, Muslims who gave shelter to Hindus, were also targeted by mobs. Saifullah Islam Patwari, a resident of Feni district, said that he gave shelter to many Hindus in his house, following which some miscreants in the village burnt his car, vandalised his house and damaged his property. He is currently residing in Dhaka and his family is also living alone – away from their native village. The Hindus, meanwhile, he gave shelter to, have also moved to other safe areas.

UNCERTAINTY LOOMS

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, on Saturday condemned attacks on minorities, terming them as “heinous”, and urged the youth to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.

Reaching out to students, at the forefront of the protests, the 84-year-old cautioned them not to let their efforts be sabotaged by those seeking to undermine their progress, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

“Are they not the people of this country? You have been able to save the country; can’t you save some families?…You must say — no one can harm them. They are my brothers; we fought together, and we will stay together”, he asserted, underscoring the need for national unity,” he said.

Even then, uncertainty looms and attacks on those with links to Sheikh Hasina or her party continue.

Journalists, who have close ties with the Awami League leaders, have been receiving threats. Zahid told India Today TV that several journalists are facing abuse on social media. Furthermore, many Awami League leaders have also gone into hiding.

One leader, on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other opposition parties have ignited the massive student protests and that Sheikh Hasina will return once the situation is under control.

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