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The police could not start operations outside the police stations for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday after prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s fall amid the student-led mass uprising.

Although police reopened many police stations across the country in the presence of the Army and Border Guard Bangladesh, they could not begin activities outside their stations, including patrolling on the day in Dhaka city and most other places in the country. 

No police vehicles were seen on roads on the day and police members were also not seen performing their duties in uniform in the Dhaka city with students managing traffic while army and BGB vehicles and personnel were seen operating. 

Operations resumed at 538 police stations out of 639 across the country, said Police Headquarters in a press release on Saturday.

Of the 110 police stations in the city areas, operations resumed in 84 police stations.

According to the PHQ, 454 of the total 529 police stations have begun operating in the districts.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s assistant commissioner for media Jahangir Kabir told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that 45 out of 50 police stations in the DMP area had begun operating on Saturday.

Hoping that the DMP will be fully functional soon, he said, ‘The operation will begin considering the security and infrastructure of the police stations.’

At least 10 stations were totally damaged and it will take time to repair those, he said, adding that those stations eventually will have to find temporary alternatives for operations.

During a visit to the Mohammadpur police station at about 5:30pm on Saturday, several university and college students were seen cleaning the police station and paints at their own expense.

Tanim Mahmud, a Tejgaon College honours first-year student, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they had taken an initiative to clean dilapidated police stations alongside managing traffic on city roads.

‘We are spending our own money in these initiatives. At least 100 students had taken part in the initiatives since Saturday,’ he said.

Chandpur district superintendent of police Saiful Islam told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they had resumed activities inside police stations but could not patrol outside due to lack of vehicles.

‘Most of the vehicles either vandalised or set on fire. It would require time,’ the SP added. 

Students on Saturday continued guarding public and private establishments and properties and controlling traffic movement in Rajshahi as activities of the police started on a limited scale in police stations, ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported.

No policemen in uniform was seen on the city roads to carry out their duties while low-rank members of the district police staged demonstrations inside Rajshahi Police Lines to press home their eleven-point demand.

GKM Meskat Chowdhury, one of the central coordinators of Student Movement Against Discrimination, said that some of their volunteers had not slept for the past 72 hours to protect the public and private establishments and properties day and night since August 6.

‘Not only the civil and police administrations killed our fellow students but also they showed their non-cooperation by not carrying out their duties and responsibilities to protect the life and properties of the people,’ he added.

Against the backdrop, instructions have been given to all district superintendents of police and officers-in-charge of the police stations from the Police Headquarters to form citizen security committees in each area to restore police station operations and maintain law and order.

The main objective of the committee would be to increase public participation in restoring law and order.

In order to restore law and order in the areas, the law enforcers and the members of the committee will take measures to prevent violence, theft, and robberies by providing joint patrols.

To resolve existing social conflicts such as vandalism and arson attacks, measures will be taken by the committees to establish intensive personal communication.

Local people’s lives, property, buildings, places of worship of minority communities will be regularly monitored and swift action will be taken.

Local coordinators of the Student Movement Against Discrimination will finalise the size of the committee.

Lawyers/judges, retired police officers, armed forces officers, senior citizens, human rights activists, women rights activists and others will be members of the committee.

Committee will make initiatives including creating public awareness and providing full cooperation to the policemen in taking legal action so that no one can create any kind of incitement.

A total of 14 police stations of the metropolitan and district police started in Barishal on a limited scale on Saturday, ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in the district confirmed the matter quoting Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Mustafizur Rahman as saying.