Rakib Uddin; CTG

Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasib Aziz has instructed his force to open fire if anyone brandishes a weapon at them, citing the legal right to self-defence under the Penal Code.

The directive, issued via wireless message on Tuesday night (12 August), applies to all CMP units — including mobile, patrol, Detective Branch, and checkpoint teams — and mandates that personnel carry firearms and live ammunition at pre-5 August 2024 authorisation levels. Deploying unarmed teams is strictly prohibited.

“If anyone draws a weapon — a gun or even a sharp blade — they will be shot. That’s certain,” Commissioner Aziz told The Business Standard, adding that officers may fire before an attack lands and target the head, chest, or back if necessary. “Government-issued ammunition must be used to its full potential.”

The order follows a Monday night incident in Ishan Mistri Hat, where Bandar Police Station Sub-Inspector Abu Sayeed Rana was critically injured in a machete attack during a raid. Police sources said two constables accompanying him had shotguns but refrained from firing.

“In the situation my SI faced, no one should expect to return without leaving at least one body behind,” Aziz said.

The commissioner noted that some officers had grown reluctant to use firearms due to legal and human rights concerns following fatal shootings after 5 August. He stressed that Penal Code sections 96 to 106 clearly allow officers to defend themselves and protect public property.

SI Rana is currently receiving treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.