In Chittagong, the policemen were seen presenting red roses to people who went to any of the 16 stations or the police headquarters on Sunday.

“We are all people. But police are viewed differently from ordinary people,” Chittagong Police Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal told bdnews24.com.

“We are giving flowers on this Valentine’s Day to keep our ties with people intact.”

Police have been accused of brutality in a series of recent incidents. They include the beating of Dhaka South City Corporation official Bikash Chandra Saha at Dhaka’s Jatrabarhi and Bangladesh Bank official Golam Rabbi at Mohammadpur.

A policeman in Dhaka’s Adabor was withdrawn from duty for harassing the wife of a Juba Dal leader while forcibly searching her.

Police at Mirpur’s Shah Ali have been accused of extortion and spilling kerosene on tea-seller Babul Matubbor, who later died of severe burn wounds.

Such incidents had instilled unnecessary fear of police among citizens, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque had said while cautioning the force.

But police were seemingly in a refreshing mood on Valentine’s Day in the port city.

“We’re greeting everyone coming to the station with flowers. We’re hoping this will change the ‘different image’ they have of us,” said Chittagong’s Kotwali Police OC Jashim Uddin.

Personnel on patrol have been giving roses to ordinary people at stations, check posts and outposts.

Didarul Islam, a private bank employee, got a flower while he was at a station. “It’s undoubtedly a good initiative. I really like it.”

Police said the OCs arranged for the flowers following a directive without any central funds.