As things return to normal in Bangladesh after weeks of violent protests following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, its capital Dhaka is slowly limping back to normalcy, with markets opening and public transport plying on the roads. However, there is one notable shortcoming — Police and traffic personnel,
The violence has largely stopped since Hasina fled to India on August 5, but police personnel are nowhere to be seen on the streets of Dhaka. Instead, student volunteers can be seen managing traffic.
The interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus on Friday gave police officers a 24-hour deadline to return to duty. However, the deadline proved futile.
Speaking to India Today, a second-year college student managing traffic at a busy intersection in Dhaka said, “The prime minister has run away and so have the police. Now all of us students are managing the traffic. All schools and colleges are closed and we don’t know when they will open.”
Students are handling traffic management while the army and NGOs are taking care of law and order situation. Detachments of army personnel carrying light machine guns (LMGs) have been deployed in major areas of Dhaka. There is tight security in the area around the airport, with many army vehicles stationed near the entrance.
Bangladesh has been plunged into chaos over a controversial quota system in government jobs for family members of 1971 war veterans, sparking massive street protests and violence that left more than 550 people dead and hundreds injured.
After Fall of Hasina governmentThere have been reports of widespread looting and rioting as police stayed off duty due to security concerns. At least 76 police stations were set on fire in Bangladesh last week. Several police officers were beaten to death at a police station in Sirajganj.
‘Awami League student wing attacked temples’
A matter of special concern for India is that Attacks on Hindu homes and temples The ISKCON temple in Meherpur in Khulna, Bangladesh was also set on fire.
Speaking on the issue, a student told India Today that it is the work of the Awami League Chhatra Parishad to trap the protesters.
He said, “The temples were attacked by Awami League Chhatra Parishad members disguised as student protesters. This was Sheikh Hasina’s plan. In fact, the students were standing outside the temples to protect them.”
Acknowledging that temples were vandalised and Hindus were targeted, the student said they were trying their best to ensure the well-being of the minorities.
“We are not 100% sure that they (Hindus) are safe. The police have not yet done their job. Many temples have been vandalised and mosques have also been destroyed. We have tried our best to ensure the well-being of Hindus. Hindu-Muslim brother brother,” He said.
Charu Chandra Das, general secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, said the situation is improving now and local people are also reaching out to Hindus.
“Hindus are scared. The last few days have not been good. We have been getting calls from people of the community from far-flung areas. However, the situation is gradually improving,” Das told India Today.
He also said that leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami also contacted and assured all possible help to the community.
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