Bangladesh Police Still Struggling to Replace Vehicles Destroyed During 2024 Unrest

Reading Time: 3 minutes Nearly a year after the violent political upheaval that swept across Bangladesh in July and August of 2024, the Bangladesh Police continue to operate with a dangerously depleted vehicle fleet. Official data reveals that 1,074 police vehicles were either torched or severely vandalised during the unrest, leaving police stations, highway patrols, and special units scrambling to maintain basic mobility. While the government has approved phased procurement plans, only 687 vehicles have been purchased or are in the pipeline a figure that falls well short of replacing the assets lost, let alone meeting the police’s pre-existing shortfall of over 5,000 vehicles. A System Stalled by Violence During the peak of the unrest, dozens of police installations across major cities like Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, and Gazipur came under coordinated attacks. Vehicles were singled out burned, smashed, and disabled in street ambushes. In Dhaka alone, over 22 police stations