Restoring law and order in Bangladesh a priority, says caretaker government

By Ruma Paul and Devjyot Ghoshal

DHAKA (Reuters) -Improving law and order in Bangladesh is a priority for the newly appointed caretaker government, the adviser to the interior ministry said on Friday, as the strife-torn nation limps to normalcy after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled.

Hasina left for neighbouring India on Monday after weeks of deadly protests forced her to quit. An interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, was sworn in on Thursday and will be tasked with holding elections.

Retired Brig. Gen. M. Sakhawat Hossain told Reuters the interim government will first try to improve the law and order situation in the country.

“And number two, bring back the confidence within the law enforcement agencies, which I feel has gone very drastically low,” he said in a telephone interview.

The fall of Hasina’s government triggered both jubilation and violence as crowds stormed and ransacked her official residence in the capital Dhaka while statues of her father, independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were defaced and brought down in different parts of the country.

Anarchy, vandalism, looting and attacks against minorities and their places of worship have also gripped the country of 170 million people in the last few days, TV visuals have shown.

Hossain said the administration was “very concerned” about reports of vandalism and attacks on minorities, adding that some were “slightly exaggerated”.

Most police stations across Bangladesh have been deserted in recent days as police officers faced public outrage because of a crackdown on protesters in Hasina’s last days in power, witnesses said. Weapons and ammunition were also stolen from the stations, local media reported.

“Now they are being attacked, thanas (police stations) are being attacked. How will these poor fellows go about?” said Hossain.

Some plainclothes police constables returned to duty in Dhaka on Friday, according to a Reuters witness, with paramilitary forces seen guarding some of the police stations.

Out of six police stations in the Tejgaon division of Dhaka, three fully resumed operations on Friday. Work was ongoing to restore the three others which were damaged.

“Today, we have resumed activities with the support of military forces. I request all citizens to visit the police station; we are ready to serve you,” Azimul Haque, the deputy commissioner of the division, told Reuters.

The student-led movement in Bangladesh started with protests against quotas in government jobs before spiralling into violent protests to oust Hasina. About 300 people died while thousands were injured during the agitation.

Hasina will return to Bangladesh when the caretaker government decides on holding elections, her son said, but it was not clear if the 76-year-old would contest.

Speaking to the Times of India daily, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who is based in the United States, said, “She will go back to Bangladesh the moment the interim government decides to hold an election.”

Joy was not asked in the interview whether Hasina, who was at the helm of Bangladesh for 20 of the last 30 years, will contest the elections. “My mother would have retired from politics after the current term,” he said.

China welcomed the appointment of the interim government under Yunus while the prime ministers of both India and Pakistan said they were looking forward to work with Yunus.

Human Rights Watch said Yunus’ government needs to address the lawlessness.

“It is crucial to immediately bring public order and protect vulnerable communities, including Hindu minorities, who have come under attack,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, the Asia deputy director for the human rights watchdog.

In the absence of police, students have formed groups to guard neighbourhoods in Dhaka.

Television visuals showed students and youngsters, armed with wooden sticks, controlling traffic at checkpoints in Dhaka and checking vehicles. Residents and local businesses were shown giving food and water to the volunteers.

They were also out at markets in Dhaka, checking food prices with vendors after reports of a steep rise.