Barishal Metropolitan Police Marks 20th Anniversary Amid Manpower and Other Crises

The Barishal Metropolitan Police (BMP) marks its 20th founding anniversary today. However, two decades after the establishment of the metropolitan police in Barishal, the country’s fifth divisional headquarters, the unit continues to struggle with shortages of manpower, vehicles and other resources.

The severe manpower shortage has become the biggest challenge for the police unit, but local residents say the issue has largely been overlooked by higher authorities. Three deputy commissioners have been transferred from the BMP over the past three months, but no replacements have been appointed.

Of the BMP’s 2,135 approved posts, around 1,850 personnel are currently in service, according to available information. This shortage often makes it difficult to maintain law and order. As the city’s population and number of vehicles continue to grow, the police face mounting challenges in maintaining discipline. Shortages of personnel and vehicles are among the main problems.

Limited traffic police capacity has also allowed unauthorised rickshaws, easy-bikes and other vehicles to occupy city roads. As a result, traffic congestion often becomes difficult to control. Both posts of additional police commissioner have remained vacant for a long time. Only three deputy commissioners are performing the duties of eight approved posts. There are four additional deputy commissioners against 11 approved posts, while more than half of the 17 assistant commissioner posts are vacant.

Over the past two decades, construction of the BMP headquarters, police lines and airport police station building has been completed. Construction of the Bandar police station building began recently. A new building for Kotwali Police Station was also scheduled to be built during the current fiscal year, but the construction project for Kaunia Police Station has yet to receive approval.

Meanwhile, plans to construct a new residence for the police commissioner have made no progress, despite the existing building being nearly a century old. The BMP commissioner, who holds the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG), lives in a dilapidated residence previously used by a former additional superintendent of Barishal District Police.

The failure to fully develop the BMP over the past 20 years has left many residents and socially conscious citizens disappointed. However, the newly appointed police commissioner is trying to address the problems. He has also claimed that law and order in Barishal is better than in other metropolitan cities in the country. Although residents are not entirely satisfied with the situation, they are not wholly dissatisfied either.

According to crime observers, the city faces no major law-and-order challenges if traffic management improves and juvenile gangs are brought under control. The metropolitan police are continuing their efforts on both fronts.

Police conduct block raids almost every night in different areas of the city. Several drug hotspots, including the KDC slum, which had long been considered a safe haven for drug activities, have been dismantled. Anti-drug operations are continuing in other suspected areas as well.

From August 1 to October 15, the BMP arrested more than 1,000 suspects and accused persons in various cases. A large number of those arrested were accused in drug-related cases. Abu Raihan Md Saleh, the 22nd BMP commissioner who joined the post in the first week of August, said, “There will always be crises and problems. Even amid these challenges, we are making continuous efforts to improve law and order. We have achieved considerable success in this regard. There will be no concessions when it comes to drugs and juvenile gangs.”

The metropolitan police began their journey with the former Kotwali Police Station area, but the city now has four police stations. None of them has enough vehicles to meet its needs. As a result, the unit regularly faces difficulties conducting patrols, particularly at night.

There is also a growing need to establish at least three more police stations. Informed sources believe a new station should cover the Rupatali-Kalizia and Jagua areas. They also suggest dividing the jurisdiction of Airport Police Station to create another station covering the area from Nabagram Road and Chowmuhani to Karapur. A third new station should cover Char Monai Union and adjoining areas.

The BMP’s approved manpower stood at around 1,250 when it was established. This was later increased to 2,073 and then to 2,135. In 2018, a proposal was submitted to increase the unit’s manpower to around 4,300, along with four additional police stations and several police outposts. However, the proposal has not been approved in the past eight years.

The existing manpower structure also has significant vacancies, ranging from additional commissioners and deputy commissioners to inspectors, sub-inspectors, traffic sergeant assistant sub-inspectors (TSIs), sergeants and constables. These shortages are slowing down the unit’s operations.

Despite these challenges, the city’s law-and-order situation and several aspects of police operations have improved over the past two decades. Public awareness has increased, and greater discipline has returned to the city. Even after police activities came to a complete standstill for nearly 15 days following the July uprising, no major law-and-order crisis emerged in Barishal. Relations between the police and ordinary citizens have also remained reasonably positive.

However, the city is now struggling under the pressure of unauthorised vehicles. The necessary coordination between the city administration and traffic police has yet to develop. Traffic police often find themselves helpless in the face of the disorder caused by illegal vehicles.

There have also been virtually no effective steps to stop the use of hydraulic horns. Large, reckless three-wheelers, including Mahindra and Alpha vehicles, continue to dominate city roads. Like many other unauthorised vehicles, their drivers also operate illegally, and fewer than one in 100 has a driving licence, according to the report.

Their reckless driving has created fear on roads throughout the city, making road accidents an increasingly common occurrence. Speaking about the overall activities of the BMP, Commissioner Abu Raihan Md Saleh said law and order in Barishal was better than in other parts of the country. “We are trying to build a people-friendly police unit,” he said.

He added that residents could move around the city day and night without obstruction or fear. Ramadan, Eid, Durga Puja, Christmas and sacrificial animal markets during Eid-ul-Azha had all operated smoothly and normally, he said.

The commissioner said the police were working to further improve law and order by seeking residents’ opinions and involving citizens before major festivals. He added that Durga Puja had recently been celebrated peacefully and comfortably.