Police reshuffle in Malé ahead of MDP rally

Assistant Commissioner Asim Abdulla has been replaced by Assistant Commissioner Abdulla Shareef as Chief of Police for the Malé Area, hours before the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally scheduled for Friday evening.

Police confirmed to Atoll Times that Shareef was transferred to the position on Thursday. He previously served as head of the Central Investigation Command. It has not been disclosed whether Asim has been reassigned to another post, and the reason for the change remains unclear.

The opposition MDP has called for a large protest in Malé on Friday night. In preparation, police have heightened security measures, deploying a significant number of officers, including Specialist Operations (SO) units, in the Artificial Beach area from the afternoon.

Authorities have also announced that some streets in the capital will be closed at intervals to facilitate police operations during the protest.