Chittagong police station fire, vandalism: 500 weapons and 12 thousand bullets looted.

 Chittagong police station fire, vandalism: 500 weapons and 12 thousand bullets looted.

Infrastructural damage to eight police station buildings and eight police outposts in the city, including Kotwali, is Tk 21 crore.

Kotwali police station of Chittagong city was set on fire. August 4 afternoon.

In front of the Kotwali police station in Chittagong city, four burnt white pick-ups lie next to the armored vehicles that were destroyed in the fire. A little further away, six cars and microbuses and four motorcycles are in the same situation.

On entering the police station, the reception room (duty officer's room) was on the left hand side. It has been burnt to ashes. On the other side, the glass of the OC's room was broken. The sitting room of SI and ASI is on the second floor of the police station building. The entire room was reduced to rubble. The SI and police members live on the third floor. Their belongings and beds were broken and smashed there.

Initially, the damage to the infrastructure of Kotwali police station has been estimated at one and a half crore rupees. Interior furniture, laptops and other items have not been accounted for yet. Infrastructural damage to eight police station buildings and eight police outposts in the city, including Kotwali, is Tk 21 crore.

Meanwhile, the police initially believe that around 500 weapons and more than 12,000 bullets have been looted from various police stations in the city. Weapons looted include shotguns, pistols and rifles. The police could not know the exact statistics as the documents in the police station were burnt in the fire. RAB recovered 35 weapons and 275 bullets among these looted weapons yesterday. As the rest of the weapons are not recovered, there is a fear of criminals using them for robbery, murder and other activities.

After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and departure on August 5 in the students' uprising, people took out marches in different areas of Chittagong city. Between 5.30pm and 6.00pm miscreants carried out arson, assault, vandalism and looting. As a result, eight police stations in the city were reduced to rubble. Patenga and EPZ police stations were more affected. Currently, these police stations are operating in nearby outposts.

City Police Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) SM Mostain Hossain told Prothom Alo that initially the damage to the infrastructure of the police station and police outpost was estimated at Tk 21 crore. Determining the amount of damage to police station, outpost furniture and other things is going on. Besides, initiatives are being taken to repair the damaged police stations. However, all the police stations are running on the alternative system.

Police officer SM Mostain Hossain said that the police operation is continuing to recover the looted weapons. He said the police are on high alert. There is nothing to panic.

According to police sources, the infrastructural damage at Pahartali police station in the city is estimated at 1 crore 60 lakhs. There is nothing left of the whole police station except the walls.

70 lakh in EPZ police station, 80 lakh in Patenga, 1.5 crore in Halishahar, 1 crore 20 lakh in Doublemooring, 1 crore 20 lakh in Chandgaon, 1.5 crore in Bandar, 80 lakh in Sadarghat and 70 lakh in Akbar Shah police station. Apart from this, among the police outposts, Patharghata 80 lakhs, Sadarghat 1 crores, EPZ 70 lakhs, North Halishahar 60 lakhs, Mohra 60 lakhs were damaged. Apart from this, a loss of 60 lakh rupees was determined in Dampara Police Lines.

Some police officers who joined the police station told Prothom Alo that their 11-point demands including the formation of an independent police commission should be implemented. Police should not be used for any political party. Can work independently.