Bangladesh News

The government has directed the police administration to take a ‘foolproof’ security measure in the capital as it fears a severe downtrend in law and order during handover of power or soon after the caretaker government takes over.

The government has even asked the police authorities to reinforce their presence in Dhaka by dispatching forces to the capital from across the country.

The government is acting to this end when the 14-party opposition combine is preparing for a massive street showdown to protest against handover of power to Justice KM Hasan-led caretaker government, sources said.

The home ministry has already sent massages all over the country asking an additional police force to gather in the capital to maintain ‘law and order’.

Speaking anonymously, a superintendent of police told The Daily Star yesterday, “We have been asked to report to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner in the morning of October 26 with preparations for a few days’ stay in the capital.”

The home ministry has summoned an additional force of at least 5,000 police personnel in the capital. This additional force will be deployed in addition to the regular force and reserve troops from Dhaka and its adjacent districts, the sources added.

Moreover, the ruling BNP-led four-party alliance has also directed its leaders, lawmakers and activists to be in the streets during handover of power in a bid to counter the opposition’s showdown, sources said.

Earlier on October 13, the BNP at a meeting decided to hold a grand rally in the capital to show its strength before its tenure expires on October 27.

With the uncertainty mounting over the success of ongoing dialogue between the BNP and the Awami League (AL) to break the political standoff over electoral reforms, both the parties are taking preparations for establishing supremacy in the streets.

In line with the already declared programme, the 14-party is preparing to launch an all-out agitation move with oars and poles to press home its demands for electoral reforms.

To launch the final spell of agitation, the AL-led opposition alliance sits with its leaders of Dhaka city’s thana and ward level units tomorrow and with those of its front organisations on October 21. The opposition is likely to instruct its leaders and activists to take control of the streets if everything goes otherwise.

All upazila and district units of the opposition’s front organisations will also sit simultaneously the same days for preparations.

Sensing that the government may not realise its major demands, the opposition held an emergency meeting on Tuesday night and also decided to stage countrywide demonstrations on October 22 — the day before the final round of talks — to observe the day as the “reform proposals implementation day” ‘as a warm-up step.

On the other hand, the BNP has started taking massive preparations to face the opposition alliance in the streets ‘politically’.

On October 13, the party held a joint meeting of the leaders of its front organisations and lawmakers from the constituencies in the capital and directed them to foil any opposition’s bid to create anarchy.

The BNP’s youth front Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal at an extended meeting on October 8 decided to remain active in the streets after October 27.

At a reunion of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), students’ wing of BNP, on October 9, the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman vowed to resist any attempt to create anarchy and urged JCD leaders and activists to act accordingly.