Police Return to Dark Blue, Olive Shirts with Khaki Pants
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Police uniforms are returning to their earlier design, with officers now set to wear dark blue and light olive shirts paired with khaki pants. The government issued a gazette notification confirming the change, stating that khaki pants will now be standard for all personnel.
The Police Headquarters issued the gazette on Thursday.
Acting under Section 12 of the Police Act of 1861, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Ali Hossain Fakir signed the amended Police Dress Rules 2025 with government approval.
Earlier, a proposal from Police Headquarters went through vetting, after which the final decision on uniform colors was communicated back to the department.
The revised gazette states that police in districts and other units will wear dark blue shirts, while personnel in metropolitan units will wear light olive shirts. However, khaki pants will be mandatory for all units, including districts and metropolitan police. The Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Special Protection Battalion (SPBn), Special Branch (SB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are excluded from this uniform change.
Following the July uprising in 2024 and the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, calls for police reform, including changes to uniforms, gained momentum. On January 20 last year, the Advisory Council Committee on Law and Order decided to change the police uniform, selecting an iron-colored outfit for all personnel, which was introduced in the field on November 25 last year.
However, the new uniform received mixed reactions from field-level police members, many of whom reportedly struggled to accept the change. Some officers also questioned the color selection, saying it did not look appropriate and caused discomfort, particularly due to social media trolling.
After the BNP government took office on February 17, the Bangladesh Police Service Association on February 24 requested a review of the decision to change the police uniform.
In a statement, the association said the interim government had selected a uniform without considering officers’ skin tones, climate conditions, and feedback from personnel. It also said the new uniform closely resembled those of other uniformed services without proper public consultation, making it difficult to distinguish police officers in the field. Most members opposed what they described as a rushed change.
