Police morale restored a year after July Uprising, says DMP chief

He recalls police deaths, looted arms, and station attacks during 2024 movement

Police morale has returned after being shaken during widespread violence in the July Uprising, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali.

He said police officers were killed, stations and outposts destroyed, weapons looted, and even a revolt broke out in Rajarbagh.

But the most damaging impact, he added, was psychological -- the officers lost morale.

With collective effort over the past year, the force has managed to rebuild that morale, the DMP chief said.

He was speaking on Friday night at the 42nd founding anniversary event of the Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association (CRAB), held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in Dhaka.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5 last year, police installations across the country came under attack, with widespread arson and vandalism.

According to official figures, 44 police personnel were killed during the movement. The force took considerable time to return to operational stability.

The upheaval triggered a major reshuffle in the police, with numerous changes across the chain of command.

One year on, the DMP commissioner says the morale has now been restored.

He also outlined preparations for the general election. He said police are already working towards that goal, and that steps are being taken to erase the stain of the 2018 election, during which the force was widely criticised.