While millions of Bangladeshis prepare to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with family, police officer Kalam Hossain will once again spend the festival away from his loved ones, standing guard on empty streets as others pray and feast.
In 16 years of service, the Jashore-based officer has rarely celebrated Eid with his family or joined friends for prayers. Leave is not an option. When the nation celebrates, his workload doubles.
“If we also go on leave like everyone else, the safety of ordinary people will be compromised,” Hossain said. “This is the duty of the police. For us, responsibility comes before family.”
During Eid, officers work 17 to 18-hour shifts, often moving straight from day duty into night patrols. Normal 12-hour schedules stretch into double time as millions travel across the country to reunite with relatives.
Police officer Sujauddoula described the weight of the season.
“Leave is out of the question. Whenever a festival arrives, the burden of responsibility seems to grow,” he said.
Asked about missing his family, another officer, Russel, paused before answering.
“Family comes first for everyone. But I am in a profession where the safety of the nation and its people comes first,” he said. “Even if I want, I cannot live like ordinary people. Staying away from family during festivals is hard, but I have accepted it.”
For Sujauddoula, the hardest moments come when he watches other families celebrate.
“On Eid, I really wish to take my children out. When I see others enjoying time with their families, it hurts,” he said, his eyes welling up. “If I were not in the police, I might have celebrated the same way. But duty overcomes personal desire.”
The officers acknowledged that public perception of police is often mixed. But when crisis strikes, they said, it is the police phone numbers people dial first.
“People have different opinions about the police. But in an emergency, our phones are the first to ring,” Russel said. “Mistakes happen, but putting them aside, there is no denying the contribution of Bangladesh Police.”
To ease the isolation, Jashore District Police has arranged special Eid meals for officers on duty, said Additional Superintendent of Police Abul Bashar. Instructions have been given to ensure all personnel can attend Eid prayers in shifts so no one feels entirely alone.
For these officers, the reward is not celebration with family but something quieter: knowing that millions travelled safely because they stayed behind.
As the country wraps itself in the colours of Eid, they remain on the streets, working through the night.
