“They killed her”: police family exposes Bangladesh’s shattered justice

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

The tragic death of 22-year-old police constable Trishna Biswas has ignited outrage and suspicion across Bangladesh, shedding light on a nation grappling with the edge of chaos.

Trishna, a top recruit of 2023 and a beacon of resilience for overcoming poverty in Madaripur’s Dasar upazila, was found hanging in the Patuakhali police barracks on January 19.

Authorities rushed to declare her death a suicide, but her family and mounting evidence suggest otherwise—raising suspicions of a sinister conspiracy.

Trishna’s last moments paint a harrowing picture. Hours before her death, she called her brother and spoke of a “big conspiracy” against her, pleading for help.

Her grandfather, Kali Das Shome, accused Patuakhali Superintendent of Police (SP) Md. Anowar Zahid of tampering with evidence, stating, “Photos of her hanging body were deleted from my phone by the SP. We suspect her mobile contains critical evidence about the conspiracy. My granddaughter was murdered. But where will we get justice in a country where justice itself is dead?”

SP Zahid denied these claims, asserting, “I didn’t delete any photos. She committed suicide.”

The family has categorically rejected the police account, emphasizing Trishna’s optimism, strength, and dedication to her duties.

They argue that she was not suicidal and demand an independent investigation to uncover the truth.

Trishna’s case is not a lone tragedy but part of a relentless pattern of violence targeting law enforcement officials in Bangladesh recently.

On January 9, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Al-Amin was found hanging from a window in his room at the Jajira Police Station in Shariatpur.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain murky, with the open door to his room raising questions of potential misconduct.

On the same day, Sub-Inspector (SI) Shafiqul Islam, 48, was savagely attacked and left to die by unknown assailants in Durgapur, Netrokona, succumbing to his injuries hours later.

These devastating incidents paint a picture of a country in utter collapse—one where even those sworn to protect its citizens are at risk of violence, conspiracy, and death.

The rule of law has become a hollow shell, and those who should be safeguarding the public are now victims of the same lawlessness they once fought to prevent.

Trishna’s death is the most damning evidence of this decay.

A bright, promising young member of law enforcement agency with a future ahead of her is lost—replaced with questions that seem elusive.

Her family’s heartache reflects the growing frustration and fear sweeping across Bangladesh.

If police officers cannot even trust their own colleagues to protect them, what hope is there for the ordinary citizen?

The deaths of Trishna, OC Al-Amin, and SI Shafiqul are not just tragedies—they are a glaring indication of the complete breakdown of the system.

The victim’s police family members’ calls for justice are growing louder, but so too is the anger, the hopelessness, and the despair.

“Without urgent, sweeping reforms, true accountability, and a relentless commitment to restoring the rule of law, this nation will plunge deeper into an abyss of violence, corruption, and chaos,” warned a retired high-ranking police official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In a startling public address recently, Saidur Rahman, the General Secretary of Sirajganj District BNP, openly confessed to orchestrating the killing of 15 police officers during the August 5, 2024, uprising in Bangladesh.

Rahman detailed how his group attacked the Enayetpur Police Station with the intent to “break the backbone of the Bangladesh Police.”

He recounted that his team stormed the station, disregarded pleas for surrender, executed the officers, and subsequently hung their bodies from trees as a grim warning.

Despite this admission, no significant legal action has been taken against Rahman.

Conversely, former minister Abdul Latif Biswas remains imprisoned for his alleged involvement in the attack, sparking debates about justice and accountability.

Rahman’s confession has placed the BNP in a precarious position, as the party had previously condemned the attack. Senior BNP leaders have refrained from commenting directly, indicating an internal crisis.

The Enayetpur massacre instilled widespread fear among law enforcement, leading to mass resignations and deserted police stations.

This vacuum facilitated unchecked violence nationwide, including over 2,200 attacks on Hindu properties and the targeted killings of more than 300 Awami League activists.

“In a country where justice is vanishing and even its protectors are unsafe, the future is shrouded in uncertainty, with the nation on the brink of a crisis far more devastating,” the police official added.

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