Firearms were looted from at least 22 police stations in the capital, and the number may increase after the end of the ongoing assessment, said DMP officials.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mainul Hasan said those stations were completely damaged by vandals and arsonists.
“Many of the looted arms and ammunition were surrendered to the army, Rab, and Ansar officials. We’re now assessing how many are still missing,” he told The Daily Star last night.
A high official of the DMP, requesting anonymity, said there were instances where arms were taken away from police officials who were attacked while they were trying to return to duty or workplaces.
The DMP yesterday urged those in possession of illegal arms and ammunition to surrender to the nearest police station, adding that possession of those is a punishable offence.
Another 30 police stations had their gates either burned down or damaged in similar attacks.
According to sources, at least 15,000 bullets were plundered from a police station in Uttara alone.
Another DMP official said a similar incident occurred at Badda Police Station.
According to various police sources, many police stations outside the capital suffered the same fate.
MORE COPS JOIN WORK
The Police Headquarters yesterday said that 628 of the 639 police stations across the country were operational.
In a press release, it also said that 108 of 110 police stations in metropolitan areas resumed work, while 520 of 529 police stations in districts began functioning again.
However, the presence of traffic police was still thin, while many cops remained absent from their stations and other units despite their strike being called off.
At some 11 stations, necessary logistics, furniture, and equipment were destroyed, and those couldn’t start operations, the PHQ said, adding that it would take two to three days for those to become functional.
Police personnel refrained from discharging their duties following attacks on them after the violence centring the anti-discrimination student protests, which led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5.
Many cops were killed during the attacks, while video evidence shows them shooting unarmed people at point-blank range.
Mohammad Mohsin, officer-in-charge of the capital’s Tejgaon Police Station, said that while most of their officers joined the station, only those on duty wore their uniforms.
Till 5:30pm yesterday, 21 general diaries filed by service seekers were registered with the police station, but no case was filed.
 He also said they started patrolling the main roads on a limited scale yesterday for the first time since August 5.
Visiting Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station, this correspondent found many officers in plainclothes.
The station’s OC ABM Moshiur Rahman said all their officials joined on Sunday but many are too traumatised and afraid to wear the uniform.
Meanwhile, a limited number of traffic police, along with student volunteers, Ansar members, and firefighters, were seen controlling traffic in the capital and elsewhere.
In Narayanganj, five out of the seven police stations began operations, with 70 percent of their officers joining the workplace.
Amir Khasru, an additional superintendent of police in Narayanganj, said traffic police began duties on a limited scale after 2:00pm.
In Sylhet, cops returned to duty as law and order was restored. Some traffic police personnel returned to the streets and were being assisted by scouts and Bangladesh National Cadet Corps members.
In Dinajpur, only six out of 20 traffic police were on duty on different roads yesterday, while all the stations in the district began operations.
In Munshiganj, five out of seven police stations resumed operations.
A traffic sergeant said people appreciated seeing them back on the roads.
Our correspondents in Bogura, Gazipur, Patuakhali, Kushtia, Mymensingh, Dinajpur, Brahmanbaria, Pirojpur, and Jhalakathi also reported that police stations in those districts have resumed operations, while traffic policemen were also seen discharging duties along with the student volunteers.
Home Affairs Adviser Brig Gen (retired) Sakhawat Hossain yesterday told reporters that people can inform him in case the police did not record any complaints or GD, or if they found any irregularities.
(Our district correspondents contributed to this report.)
