Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali has ordered officers to open fire on anyone who throws crude bombs or sets vehicles ablaze, saying the instruction is permitted under existing law and applies to attacks on people, police, or key installations. The directive, delivered over radio ahead of Monday’s verdict against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, follows a similar instruction issued last week by Chattogram police after a rise in arson linked to political unrest.
Security officials say the measure is intended to deter violence as banned Awami League groups prepare for a lockdown around the tribunal’s ruling. Analysts and rights advocates warn that a standing authorization to shoot lowers the threshold for lethal force and does not meet international standards, which allow firearms only when an imminent threat to life exists and no lesser option is possible. Broad radio instructions during tense political moments can be misinterpreted by frontline officers and may lead to civilian deaths, escalation, and legal consequences for the state.
Bangladesh is trying to rebuild public trust and move away from previous allegations of abuse. A shoot-on-sight posture sends the opposite message. However serious the attacks may be, responding to them must not ignore proportionality or due process. This directive is dangerous, unnecessary, and inconsistent with the rule of law the country says it is trying to restore.