Student agitation in Bangladesh over the reservation issue and then former PM Sheikh Hasina had to leave the country on August 5. A month and a half later, Bangladesh's interim government led by Mohammad Yunus has extended the army's powers amid election demands from opposition parties, including the BNP. According to a report, the interim government has given the powers of special acting magistrates to the army across the country with immediate effect.
According to the notification of the Bangladesh government, army officers will be able to work as executive magistrates under the supervision of district magistrates throughout Bangladesh for the next 60 days. Bangladesh is under military rule for 2 months now.
An adviser to the interim government said that after receiving the powers of the magistrate, the army officer will have the power to arrest and detain people. An officer may also fire in self-defense or if necessary.
Many policemen have not returned to work since the attack Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, many policemen have not come to the police station for the past one and a half months. After Sheikh Hasina's departure on August 5, 450 out of 664 police stations were attacked. Following the attack, the Bangladesh Police Subordinate Staff Union announced an indefinite strike on 6 August. The strike was withdrawn on August 10 after several meetings with the then Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Brigadier General (retd) M. Sakhawat Hussain. Many police officers are still missing from the police station.
Expert said – Does the government not trust the magistrates?
- Former Secretary Abu Alam Mohammad Shahid Khan said that given the current law and order situation, the decision of the interior government headed by Mohammad Yunus is timely and necessary. I believe that these steps will lead to a marked improvement in law and order throughout the country.
- Senior Advocate Z.I. Panna does not agree with this decision. Panna says this is not right. Has the government lost faith in magistrates? It is not proper for military personnel to perform the duties of Magistrates under Deputy Commissioners.
Elections are necessary for stability in the country: BNP The decision to extend the army's powers comes on a day when thousands of activists from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party took to the streets of Dhaka to demand democratic change through elections. They gathered outside the BNP headquarters shouting slogans and demanding fresh elections. Because the government has not yet announced when the elections will be held. After the fall of the Hasina government, the BNP demanded elections in 3 months. Later, the BNP and its hardline Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's main Islamist party, said they wanted to give the Yunus-led government more time before elections. Former PM Khaleda Zia's son and BNP working president Tariq Rehman addressed his supporters online on Tuesday. Tariq said that only free and fair elections can ensure political stability in Bangladesh.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
