Hundreds of police stations were vandalized during student riots. The police received the wrath of the demonstrators because of the violent suppression of the demonstrations.
Bangladeshi police are patrolling the streets of the country’s capital Dhaka again after a week-long strike, a spokesperson for the police forces told the news agency AFP.
Police officers disappeared from the streets of Dhaka, a city of 20 million, last week after the autocratic prime minister Sheikh Hasina had resigned from his post and fled the country. Prior to this, sentiments against Hasina had been expressed in the weekly trade.
The police officers said they would return to their duties when they were promised guarantees about job security. About 450 of Bangladesh’s 600 police stations have been the target of arson and vandalism during the month, the country’s police union says.
The student-led demonstrations were mostly peaceful until the police started violently suppressing them. More than 450 people died in the riots, most of them shot by security forces. However, 42 policemen were also among the dead.
The police officers ended their strike after negotiations with the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Some of the police stations were already opened at the end of last week under the protection of the army. The army mostly refused to participate in the suppression of the demonstration, which has gained respect in the eyes of the student movement.
After Hasina left Bangladesh and the police withdrew from the street, the student movement promised to restore law and order with volunteer forces. The students, among other things, controlled traffic, established neighborhood patrols and protected temples of the Hindu minority that had been attacked.
Source: AFP