By Devjyot Ghoshal
BANGKOK (Reuters) – The top priority of Bangladesh’s interim government is to improve law and order in the unrest-plagued country by restoring the morale of law enforcement agencies, the newly appointed interior ministry adviser told Reuters on Friday.
Retired Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain said the government was “very concerned” about reports of vandalism and attacks on minorities, adding that some of them were “slightly exaggerated”.
“Yes, there is a problem because law enforcement is not on the ground,” he said. “You have to give them confidence so they can return.”
Police chaos has reigned in the South Asian country of 170 million people since long-time leader Sheikh Hasina abruptly resigned as prime minister on Monday and fled to India following a wave of student protests that turned violent and called for her overthrow.
Since protests and clashes escalated in July and security forces tried to contain them, about 300 people have been killed and thousands injured.
The officers have disappeared from the police stations. According to local media reports, students and volunteers are among the officers who have formed groups to patrol the districts of the capital Dhaka and regulate traffic on the streets of the metropolis.
Many homes and businesses belonging to the country’s Hindu minority were also vandalized this week, prompting hundreds of them in northwest Bangladesh to flee to neighboring India.
This group of about 700-800 Hindus returned to their homes after the local administration ensured their safety.
With morale among staff “drastically low,” Hossain said he would immediately approach law enforcement to restore trust, which could be followed by reforms.
“After such a big uproar that has brought almost the entire chain to a standstill, it will definitely take some time,” he said. “Now they are being attacked, thanas (police stations) are being attacked. How will these poor guys carry on?”
According to official figures, there are around 190,000 police officers in Bangladesh.
(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by YP Rajesh)
