The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (; abbreviated as DMP) is the primary metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Police, responsible for law enforcement, public safety, and crime prevention within the metropolis of Dhaka, the capital and most populous city of Bangladesh. Established in 1976 under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, DMP oversees policing operations, administration, and coordination with other law enforcement and emergency agencies in the city. The force is headed by a police commissioner who manages all operational and administrative functions. Mosleh Uddin Ahmed is the current DMP commissioner.
History During a major reorganization and expansion of Bangladesh's national police forces, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was established on 1 February 1976 to maintain law and order in the country's capital and largest city. It initially had 6,000 personnel in 12 police stations. With the rapid population growth of the city, the need for an expanded and better-equipped police force increased. The government planned a major expansion of police. Consequently, the establishment of 50 police stations has been completed. The number of personnel has been expanded, with newer ranks and officer corps. During the tenure of Asaduzzaman Mia as DMP Commissioner, general diary (GD) format was introduced in every police station, an e-traffic prosecution system was introduced, and information of Dhaka residents was stored on a digital database to reduce crimes.
Holey Artisan attack
The attack started at about 21:40 local time on 1 July 2016. Alerted by the gunfire, Dhaka Metropolitan Police detective Rabiul Karim and officer-in-charge Salauddin Khan started to investigate. Other police officers responded, arriving at the restaurant. The attackers then engaged in a shootout with the police. Police cordoned off the area around the restaurant and planned a rescue raid. The attackers however threw grenades and opened fire, killing officers Karim and Khan.
DMP Commissioner, Asaduzzaman Mia, and several officers struck inside and opened fire on the militants in an attempt to rescue civilians from the site. 9 people were brought back from the site in the attempt. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was briefed by the Commissioner and she instructed him to move away with his men and informed him the Army Chief Belal Shafiul Huq was on his way from Sylhet. He has been known as one of the figurehead who contributed in uprooting terrorism from the country.
Organisation The current strength stands at around more than 34,000 (including ministerial staff) personnel and 50 police stations. The DMP is divided into 42 divisions headed by five additional commissioners aided by joint commissioners, deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners. Here is the DMP organogram in brief:
Headquarters and administration: Additional commissioner administers the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters. Joint commissioner assists with 10,500 officers by governing arms of the police, handling appointments, training, logistics, supplies and other administrative functions. Additional commissioner has 15 divisions under his supervision. Crime and Operations commissioner administers and oversees the functions of all city police stations. Joint commissioners are responsible for providing security to VIPs, members of parliament, government officials, foreign dignitaries and others. Commissioner has 14 divisions under his supervision. Detective and Criminal Intelligence: This division is responsible for fighting organised crime, homicide, theft, drug trafficking, crimes against women and human trafficking. He has 9 divisions under his supervision. Traffic: Additional Commissioner (Traffic) is the traffic police of the city, regulating vehicular traffic, speed and parking laws, pedestrian and road security. Eight divisions are under his supervision. Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime is a specialized branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police comprising 600 officers, formed in 2016, to tackle terrorism and transnational crime. There are seven divisions are under his supervision.
SWAT The SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) is another elite tactical unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police which was established on 28 February 2009. SWAT is operated under the Special Action Group of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Cyber Crime Investigation Division The Cyber Security & Crime Division, more commonly known as the Cyber Crime Division, is a branch of Bangladesh Police which is operated under the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
SWPC Female officers were first inducted into the DMP in 1978.
The Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police was created in 2008 to specifically track female criminals involved in activities such as prostitution, drug smuggling and human trafficking, theft, homicide and swindling. With increasing numbers of female criminals in Bangladesh, the SWPC, composed entirely of female officers, would be used to gather intelligence that men are seen as less capable of gathering.
The Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) was established in 2008 with the objective of creating a specialized unit composed exclusively of women to investigate crimes involving female offenders. Bangladesh Narcotics Control Department reported that as many as 100,000 people were engaged in drug trafficking, of whom 40 percent were women. Bangladesh Police considered male officers to be less effective than women in gathering information and investigating crimes involving women and had already been using female police officers more in tackling crimes involving female criminals. As an all-women force, the SWPC is the first of its kind in Bangladesh's history.
Bangladesh Police plan to raise such units across the country. Currently, there are roughly 2,000 women officers in Bangladesh Police - less than two percent of the total force, and one-third of whom are deployed in Dhaka. Bangladesh Police plan to train and hire 3,000 women officers to bolster the SWPC. An assistant commissioner of police in charge of the Dhaka SWPC who leads a detective force of 24 women officers.
Thana list of Dhaka Metropolitan Police
Adabor Airport Badda Banani Bangshal Bhashantek Cantonment Chackbazar Dakshin Khan Darus-Salam Demra Dhanmondi Gandaria Gulshan Hatirjheel Hazaribagh Jattrabari Kadamtoli Kafrul Kalabagan Kamrangirchar Khilgaon Khilkhet Kotwali Lalbagh Mirpur Model Mohammadpur Motijheel Mugda New Market Pallabi Paltan Model Ramna Model Rampura Rupnagar Sabujbag Shah Ali Shahbag Shahjahanpur Sher e Bangla Nagar Shyampur Sutrapur Tejgaon Tejgaon Industrial Turag Uttar Khan Uttara East Uttara West Vatara Wari
The DMP also collaborates and maintains organizational links with the Bangladesh Ansar, Border Guard Bangladesh, Special Branch, Bangladeshi intelligence community, Rapid Action Battalion and other national security agencies.
Controversies Mahbubur Rahman Sujon, a small trader, was arrested by sub-inspector Jahidur Rahman of Mirpur police station. He was killed in custody in July 2014. SI Jahidur, who was previously stationed in Pallabi area, was also involved in the custody death of Jony, arrested from a Mirpur Bihari camp. Jahidur was taken into custody as a murder case over the death of Sujon had been filed against him and six other accused in July 2014 after the incident. Sujon's wife had filed the case under Torture and Custodial Death (Protection) Act, 2013; the investigation was handed over to Detective Branch. Officer in Charge of Mirpur Station Salahuddin Khan was also accused of being involved by Sujon's wife. Salahuddin Khan was killed in the July 2016 Dhaka attack by terrorists. In March 2014, Jisan, a 17-year-old student, of Dhaka City College was arrested by police from Dhanmondi Police Station. He was allegedly tortured by sub-inspector Sahidul Biswas, who demanded 1 million taka to end the torture. Jisan's father gave 0.4 million taka to plainclothes individuals inside the police station. Jisan had to be admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for his injuries. Dhaka Metropolitan Police denied the allegations of torture. In January 2015, three teenagers were killed in police custody in Mirpur police station. The teenagers were handed over to police on accusation of attempted arson during Bangladesh Nationalist Party protests. Police claimed they died from mob beating. This was contradicted by evidence that the teenagers had 56 bullet injuries. On 7 April 2015, Uttara West Police station claimed that they tortured a suspect in custody following directives of senior police officers. In November 2016 Dhaka Metropolitan Police asked the Directorate General of Health Services not to release the detailed autopsy report of people killed in Crossfire with police to the press. On 3 December 2019, sub-inspector Mostafizur Rahman and 5 other police officers of Uttara west police station were sued at for allegedly extorting a banker of Sonali Bank. On 16 January 2014, Tapan Chandra Saha, officer in charge of Uttara west police station was sued for the death of man in custody at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court. The deceased's wife alleged that her husband was tortured in custody and she paid 50 thousand taka in bribes. On 24 January 2020, the court ordered Detective Branch to investigate on the incident. In 2020, police commissioner Shafiqul Islam removed a loyalist officer of Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Benazir Ahmed after publicly accusing him of corruption.
Police commissioners Name Took office Left office Time in office 1 E. A. Chowdhury 1 February 1976 24 December 1976 2 A. M. M. Aminur Rahman 28 December 1976 2 February 1979 3 Abdur Rakib Khandaker 2 February 1979 8 February 1982 4 Muhammad Habibur Rahman 2 July 1982 2 August 1982 5 M. Azizul Haq 2 August 1982 10 March 1983 6 Abdur Rakib Khandaker 10 March 1983 4 April 1984 7 A. H. M. B. Zaman 4 April 1984 22 April 1987 8 A. M. M. Nasrullah Khan 22 April 1987 8 April 1990 9 Mohammad Salam 8 April 1990 26 August 1990 10 M. Enamul Haque 26 August 1990 19 September 1990 11 Golam Morshed 19 November 1990 2 January 1991 12 A. S. M. Shahjahan 2 January 1991 16 October 1991 13 Mohammad Salam 17 October 1991 12 December 1991 14 Md. Ashraful Huda 12 December 1991 3 April 1992 15 Mirza Rakibul Huda 4 April 1992 21 March 1993 16 A. N. Hussain 21 March 1993 24 April 1996 17 Mohammad Salam 24 April 1996 17 October 1996 18 A. K. Al Mamun 17 October 1996 17 November 1997 19 A. F. M. Mahmoud-Al Farid 17 November 1997 15 November 1998 20 A. K. M. Shamsuddin 15 November 1998 18 January 2000 21 Md. Matiur Rahman 18 January 2000 3 August 2001 22 Qutbur Rahman 3 August 2001 26 August 2001 23 Md. Anwarul Iqbal 26 August 2001 11 November 2001 24 Md. Abdul Qayyum 11 November 2001 20 May 2003 25 Md. Ashraful Huda 20 May 2003 15 December 2004 26 SM Mizanur Rahman 15 December 2004 2 November 2006 27 Naeem Ahmed 2 November 2006 3 November 2006 28 ABM Bazlur Rahman 3 November 2006 30 January 2007 29 Naeem Ahmed 30 January 2007 15 March 2009 30 A. K. M. Shahidul Haque 18 March 2009 14 October 2010 31 Benazir Ahmed 14 October 2010 8 January 2015 32 Asaduzzaman Mia 8 January 2015 13 September 2019 33 Shafiqul Islam 13 September 2019 29 October 2022 34 Khandker Golam Faruq 29 October 2022 30 September 2023 35 Habibur Rahman 30 September 2023 6 August 2024 36 Md. Mainul Hasan 8 August 2024 20 November 2024 37 S. M. Sazzat Ali 20 November 2024 25 February 2026 38 Md. Sarwar 25 February 2026 15 May 2026 39 Mosleh Uddin Ahmed 18 May 2026
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