In a dramatic escalation of security measures following a series of public shootings, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Hasib Aziz has instructed his officers to use Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs) for “brush-fire” (heavy burst) and shoot-to-kill against any armed criminals spotted in the city.
The verbal directive was issued through simultaneous wireless messages to patrol teams and police stations on Tuesday afternoon.
Immediate Arming and Increased Checkpoints
Multiple CMP sources confirmed that the Commissioner relayed the order in several separate directives between 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM.
Confirming the contents of the wireless message, several officials stated, “The Commissioner said that shotguns won’t do, China rifles are also out; now the SMGs will be in brush-fire mode.”
In addition to the SMGs, patrol teams have been instructed to carry heavy-duty shotguns, two gas guns, and team in-charges will carry 9mm pistols. Commissioner Aziz also ordered an increase in permanent police checkpoints from seven to thirteen.
Commissioner Takes Full Responsibility
Commissioner Hasib Aziz explicitly stated that the new measure is a direct response to a rise in public violence, notably the recent murder of listed criminal Sarwar Hossain Babla, who was shot during a campaign rally for BNP candidate Ershad Ullah in the Khondakarabad area on November 5. The BNP candidate was also injured in the incident.
When asked about the wireless directive, Commissioner Aziz confirmed the order:
“I have given clear instructions to shoot and kill armed individuals upon sight. I hope my subordinate force will follow this order. We cannot allow Chattogram city to become a sanctuary for terrorists,” he said.
He emphasized the need to restore public safety. “The way someone was killed in broad daylight by being shot during a public rally is a matter of great concern for us. The general public is suffering from a sense of insecurity. It cannot be that a city has police, yet its people feel unsafe,” he added, citing this as the reason for withdrawing shotguns and China rifles in favor of China Automotive Sub-Machine Guns.
In his message to police members, he reminded them of their right to self-defence and the provisions of the Penal Code, assuring them that he would take all responsibility for the actions taken under this new order.
Concerns Over Potential Misuse
While a section of the city’s civil society has supported the Commissioner’s strict decision to crack down on crime, others have voiced concerns. Critics suggest that such an instruction from law enforcement authorities carries the potential for misuse and excessive force against unarmed civilians. They expressed fear of potential indiscriminate firing or the path toward extrajudicial killings.
