The Bangladesh Police will transition to a new look from November 15. Members of the Metropolitan Police, River Police, and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) will be provided with two sets of short-sleeved and one set of long-sleeved uniforms from that day.
The long-standing traditional police attire will be phased out, and all ranks from constables to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) will wear uniforms in an iron-coloured. However, there will be no change to their ceremonial dress.
Following the controversial role of the police during the July mass uprising, the force came under sharp criticism, and morale among officers declined after August 5.
In response, demands emerged for reform within the police force, including changes to their uniform. Taking these factors into consideration, the interim government has undertaken various reform measures for the force, including this uniform change.
According to AHM Shahadat Hossain, AIG (Media) at the Police Headquarters, the first phase of distribution will cover members of the Metropolitan Police, Highway Police, River Police, and PBI.
“Gradually, all police units will receive the new uniform,” he said, adding that a decision regarding the uniforms of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has not yet been finalized.
Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of RAB's Legal and Media Wing, stated that the final decision on RAB’s uniform will be made after a thorough review. “Until then, the current design will remain in use,” he confirmed.
Crime analyst and Associate Professor of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at Dhaka University, Dr Touhidul Haque, told Bangladesh Pratidin that the change must go beyond attire. “Police reform should be psychological as well. Merely changing the uniform will not suffice. Ensuring a safe work environment and providing proper training to make the force more citizen-friendly are essential,” he emphasized.
The government initially decided to introduce new uniforms for RAB, the Police, and the Ansar forces, with trial fittings conducted at the Secretariat. However, concerns were raised regarding the shade of fabric.
Consequently, the previously proposed dark blue color was replaced with iron-coloured for the police uniform. The uniforms of the Metropolitan Police will no longer differ by region. The uniforms of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) and Special Security and Protection Battalion (SPBN), however, will remain unchanged.
According to the government, the introduction of the new police uniform is part of a broader reform initiative aimed at changing both the image and mindset of the force. The uniform selection committee analyzed police attire from various countries before finalizing the color. The new police logo will also feature changes replacing the boat symbol with motifs of the shapla (water lily), paddy, and wheat sheaves.
Meanwhile, sources at the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) revealed that the new police uniform closely resembles that of the DNC. DNC officials expressed concern that if the police object, their uniforms might be changed for the fourth time, as previous redesigns were prompted by similar objections from the police.
DNC director general Hasan Maruf stated, “If such a situation arises, the ministry will address it accordingly. We have not held any discussions with the ministry on this matter so far.”
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
