Police say 44 personnel, mostly constables, killed in movement

The most, 21 police personnel among the deceased, were constable

At least 44 police personnel, including 21 constables, have been killed in the recent violence starting from the demand for quota reforms in government jobs to the antigovernment movement.

Police Headquarters revealed the figure in a statement on Sunday.

According to the list of the deceased, the police officers died between Jul 21 and Aug 14. As many as 25 police personnel, the most for a single day, were killed on Aug 5. A total of 14 police officers were killed the day before, on Aug 4.

The most, 21 police personnel among the deceased, were in the rank of constable. The victims also include 11 sub-inspectors (SI), eight assistant sub-inspectors (ASI), and three inspectors and a Nayek.

Meanwhile, Sirajganj’s Enayetpur Thana recorded the death of 15 police personnel, the highest, in a single police station.

Over the course of three weeks, around 300 people were killed in violence across Bangladesh. Only the Dhaka Medical College Hospital recorded the deaths of 165 people. Among them, 76 were brought dead to the hospital. The rest of the 89 people died while undergoing treatment.

The UNHCR on Friday reported the death of at least 650 people during the violence in Bangladesh between Jul 16 to Aug 11.

At the beginning of August, the student movement against discrimination in public service jobs turned into an antigovernment movement.

Sheikh Hasina fled to India after resigning from premiership amid the protesters’ ‘Long March to Dhaka’ programme on Aug 5. Since the ouster of Hasina, the houses, businesses and party offices of the Awami League leaders and activists were vandalised, looted and set on fire at various places.

Homes and places of worship of scores of Hindu families and members of other minority communities also came under attack throughout Bangladesh.