Constable Md Shahidul Alam was assigned to the Traffic Department. On the night of August 4, he returned home after his duty. The following day, he was back on traffic control on Jasimuddin Road in Uttara. After about an hour of duty, he received a call from a senior officer and rushed to the front of Uttara East Police Station. There, he fell victim to public outrage and died. He was not alone; 44 police officers have been sacrificed due to the ambitions of senior officials. Among them, 80 percent hold the rank of constable to Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). In this situation, although police activities have resumed, field-level police officers are reluctant to work under the implicated senior officials.
According to information from the Police Headquarters, 44 police officers of various ranks were killed as a result of clashes, violence, and public outrage related to the anti-discrimination student movement. Among the deceased are 21 constables, 1 Nayak, 11 Sub-Inspectors (SI), 8 Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI), and 3 Inspectors. Of these, 24 were killed on August 5, 14 on August 4, and the remaining members were killed at various times during the movement. The deceased include 14 from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), 15 from Enayetpur Police Station in Sirajganj, two from Sonaimuri Police Station in Noakhali, two from Titas Police Station in Comilla, one from Kachuya Police Station in Chandpur, one from Baniachong Police Station in Habiganj, one from the Special Branch (SB) of Dhaka, one from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Narayanganj, one from the Tourist Police Headquarters, one from Comilla Highway Police, one from Kasba Police Station in Brahmanbaria, one from Khulna Metropolitan Police, one from Gazipur Metropolitan Police, and two from Dhaka District.
According to police information, the highest number of police officers killed due to public outrage occurred at Enayetpur Police Station. On August 4, the first day of non-cooperation, 13 police officers were killed. That morning at 10 am, students from various institutions, including Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College in Enayetpur, held a procession. When the protesters threw bricks and stones, the police responded with tear gas and gunfire. Around 1 pm, a procession attempted to enter Enayetpur Police Station. As police officers tried to repel them, the station was set on fire. As the fire spread, police officers who tried to escape were beaten and bludgeoned to death. Photographs of a police officer hanged from a tree with a noose around his neck were also released. Three police officers were killed and dumped into a pond. Eight police officers were killed and piled up next to a local mosque, with some having visible head injuries. Their uniforms were removed. On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country. After this news spread, police officers faced the highest level of public outrage. On that day, around 450 police stations across the country were attacked. The DMP Uttara East Police Station faced public outrage, resulting in the deaths of five police officers. On the same day, eight police officers were killed in public outrage in front of Jatrabari Police Station.
The families of the deceased and ordinary members of the police force have blamed the ambitions of senior officials for the widespread public outrage targeting police personnel and various installations. They allege that from the morning of August 5, no officer in charge (OIC) or any higher-ranking official was seen on the ground. They were only issuing instructions from safe locations, directing police personnel to resist. Following orders from radio communication, police officers attempted to carry out their duties and fell victim to public outrage. However, none of the senior officials involved in the movement sustained even minor injuries on that day.
On the condition of anonymity, a police officer said, "No one else killed my colleagues. Our ambitious senior officials indirectly caused the deaths. Even though they were not on the ground, they issued instructions to form resistance. As a result, we became victims of public outrage."
Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Media and PR, Inamul Haque Sagar, told Bonik Barta, "In recent days, at least 450 police stations have been attacked. 44 police officers have died. Additionally, weapons and ammunition have been looted from the stations. We are continuously working to assess the damage. So far, 748 various types of weapons, 20,195 rounds of ammunition, 1,472 tear shells, and 70 sound grenades have been recovered."