Earlier this week the interim regime gave magisterial powers to commissioned officers of the army for two months to improve law and order in the country and prevent “subversive acts”. The order will remain in force for the next 60 days.
The order, conferring rights including arrest and dispersal of unlawful rallies, comes as the Bangladesh police is yet to start functioning normally since coming under attack from mobs of radicals during the protests that led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The people cited earlier said on condition of anonymity the move may either lead to a complete military takeover of the country or greater say of the military in matters of governance that will render the Yunus-led government toothless. With no timeline for the next election and in the absence of elected authorities, the law and order situation in Bangladesh may deteriorate further, they said.
They further said that imposition of martial law by the military may bring back order in the country, which had the second highest growth rate in the sub-continent till Hasina was ousted from power. Martial law or army-backed rule akin to the one in 2007-08 may help rein in the radicals, they said.
Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman played a critical role during the transition period in putting in place a dispensation after Hasina was forced to flee the country.A month after Yunus was sworn in as the chief adviser, Bangladesh continues to witness rampant attacks and killings of students, civil society activists, politicians and minorities. The Chittagong Hill Tracts, home to tribals, have also come under attack by the Islamists who are threatening to take over tribals’ land. One of the experts cited earlier said India may bear the brunt of the unrest in Bangladesh if tribals are displaced from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and seek refuge in India.