The Bangladesh Army has not yet received any official directive from the government regarding its deployment in the upcoming national parliamentary elections, said Colonel Md Shafiqul Islam of the Directorate of Military Operations.
"No official instruction has been received yet from the government. But, we will fulfill any election-related duties as per the government’s directive," he said while speaking at a press briefing held at Dhaka Cantonment on Thursday.
Following discussions with political parties, the government hinted that the next general election might be held in February.
Replying to a question on how the army views incidents of mob violence and whether such incidents have increased or decreased, he said, “The army has taken strong measures against any situation involving mob violence or public distress. We’ve been able to significantly reduce incidents of mob violence. In Rangpur, for example, timely deployment of troops helped bring the situation under control.”
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When asked about the army’s involvement during Eid-ul-Azha, Colonel Shafiqul said army personnel had maintained round-the-clock patrols at key bus and railway stations and launch terminals.
“Checkposts were also set up at sensitive locations to help control traffic. Alongside our male officers, female officers and soldiers were also on the ground, confidently carrying out their duties during the festival,” he said.
“We managed to return over Tk 35 lakh to the passengers from 1,255 vehicles,” he added, noting that such outcomes were made possible by the army’s sincerity, integrity and hard work in serving the people.
“Compared to previous Eids, we were able to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 30 to 40 percent this year,” he said.
Asked about the incident where a man was allegedly beaten for selling the national flag during an international football match, Colonel Shafiqul termed it a “regrettable and isolated event.”
“All are aware that it was an international-level football match and all necessary security measures were in place. Besides, we later reached out to the flag vendor, expressed our sympathy and provided him with Tk one lakh to help him continue his business successfully,” he added.
In response to a question regarding possible push-ins from neighboring countries, Colonel Shafiqul said, “The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard are vigilant in these areas. Patrols have been increased along the borders and both permanent and temporary camps have been set up to strengthen security. Intelligence surveillance has also been intensified in those regions.”
“At this stage, there has been no need for army involvement in this matter. Therefore, the issue is currently being handled by the BGB and Coast Guard,” he added.
Regarding the recent arrests of several top criminals by the army, Colonel Shafiqul said “When we conduct operations to arrest top or any type of criminals, we maintain strict confidentiality. Our operational activities will continue in the future to arrest top criminals as needed.”