The spree of attacks on numerous police establishments in Chattogram district following the resignation of the Awami League-led government on August 5, caused infrastructural damages worth around Tk 23 crore, said police officials.
The estimated value of other damages, including those caused to vehicles, is still being assessed.
Also, at least 500 firearms of different types, including SMGs, shotguns, Chinese rifles, gas guns, rifles, pistols, and more than 15,000 rounds of ammunition were looted from police stations, raising concerns as only a few of those could be recovered so far.
According to Chattogram Metropolitan Police and Chattogram District Police sources, 12 of the 16 police stations in the district and 11 other police outposts sustained damages in the recent spate of attacks and violence. Of those, Kotwali, Sadarghat, EPZ, Patenga and Lohagara police stations sustained significant damages after being set ablaze, while Hathazari and Raozan also came under mob attack and underwent considerable damage due to vandalism.
“My station, set up in an old building, was completely destroyed in the violence and is now unusable. We have begun setting up a new office in an outpost near the Karnaphuli Tunnel,” said Md Mahfuzur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Patenga Police Station.
Directed by the Police Headquarters, CMP has prepared a list of affected police establishments and estimated the damages to infrastructures to be worth about Tk 21 crore.
CMP’s Traffic Police Department has prepared a separate report on the damages, which was not included in the aforementioned amount.
Abdul Warish, additional commissioner of CMP, said, “We have prepared a report on the damages sustained from the recent attacks on police establishments. The Police HQ will respond further in this regard.”
District police sources said around Tk 2 crore worth of infrastructural damages were sustained in the attacks.
“We are compiling a comprehensive report on the attacks on police establishments and the estimated damages sustained in this connection,” said Kabir Ahmed, additional superintendent of police (admin) of Chattogram District Police.
Meanwhile, around 50 of the looted firearms and around 3,000 rounds of ammunition have been recovered by members of the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Ansar, and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-7) from different areas.
Still, at least 450 different firearms and around 12,000 rounds of ammunition remain missing, including those looted from the central armory at Dampara Police Lines, Kotwali, Double Mooring, Pahartali, EPZ, Patenga, Raozan and Lohagara police stations, said sources.
Niskriti Chakma, deputy commissioner (crime) of CMP, said, “We are working on recovering the looted firearms. Some have been recovered so far. After receiving full reports from the police stations, we will be able to confirm the number.”
