Bangladesh’s caretaker government will prioritize improvement of law and order and restore the morale of law enforcement agencies.
Morale Of Law Enforcement Agencies
Retired Brig. Gen. M. Sakhawat Hossain, newly appointed interior ministry adviser told Reuters on Friday that the interim government will first restore the morale of law enforcement agencies
He agrees that the absence of law enforcement agencies in the strife-torn country, is creating problems.
Restoration Of Confidence
Hossain said he would reach out to law enforcement agencies immediately to restore confidence, which could be followed by reforms.
The morale among personnel is “drastically low”.
Confidence Building Measures
“They have to be given confidence so that they can come back.”
He however said that it will take some time for normalcy to be restored.
“After such a big upheaval, which has almost broken down the whole chain, it will definitely take some time.”
He further said, “Now they are being attacked, thanas (police stations) are being attacked. How will these poor fellows be going about?”
Total Strength Of Police Personnel In Bangladesh
Bangladesh has around 190,000 police personnel, according to official data.
He said that the administration is “very concerned” about reports of vandalism and attacks on minorities though some reports are “slightly exaggerated”.
Police across the South Asian country of 170 million people have been in disarray following the sudden resignation of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina.
Resumption Of Duties
Some policemen returned to duty in plainclothes, in Dhaka on Friday.
According to a Reuters witness, paramilitary forces were guarding some police stations.
A Few Police Stations Are Functioning
For example, three out of six police stations in the Tejgaon division of Dhaka, fully resumed operations on Friday.
Men are at work to repair the damaged police stations.
Azimul Haque, the deputy commissioner of the division, told Reuters, “Today, we have resumed activities with the support of military forces.”
Chaos After Sheikh Hasina’s Resignation
Sheikh Hasina quit after a wave of student-led protests turned violent and called for her ouster.
About 300 persons were killed and thousands injured after the protests and clashes escalated in July and security forces sought to curb them.
Worrisome Situation
Bangladesh’s caretaker government has taken charge but the situation continues to be worrisome.
According to local media, officers have deserted police stations.
Students and volunteers have formed groups to patrol neighbourhoods in the capital Dhaka and manage traffic on the streets of the sprawling metropolis.
Condition Of Hindu Minority Community
The Hindu minority community is badly hit.
After their homes and businesses were vandalised this week, hundreds of them in northwest Bangladesh tried to flee to neighbouring India.
That group of around 700-800 Hindus returned to their homes after the local administration provided them security.
Strength Of The Hindu Minority Community
Hindus constitute about eight per cent of Muslim-majority Bangladesh’s 170 million people.
Hindus have historically largely supported Hasina’s Awami League party, which identifies as largely secular.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council wrote to Yunus on Friday imploring him to protect the minorities.
The Council said that hundreds of Hindu homes, businesses and temples were attacked this week.
Hundreds of Hindus shouted slogans demanding peace during a protest march in Dhaka on Friday.
India Constitutes Committee
The Government of India has constituted a committee to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh Border (IBB) amid the crisis in Bangladesh.
The committee will maintain communication channels with the authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there.
The ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command, will head the committee
(With Inputs From Reuters)
