Bangladesh’s Army Chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman on Tuesday disclosed that they had given shelter to some influential people of the ousted Awami League government to prevent any attack or extrajudicial action against them.
Speaking at Rajshahi Cantonment, where he met with officials of the army, police, and administration, Gen Zaman said they gave shelter to those people irrespective of their party affiliation, opinion and religion, the Daily Star newspaper reported.
“If there is any allegation against them, any case is filed, they will be punished. But of course, we don’t want any attack or extrajudicial action (against them). We have sheltered them because of the threat to their lives,” he said in response to a query.
Autocratic regimes have a habit of ending quickly. After weeks of violent protests, Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was ushered into an army helicopter and flown out of the country, after crowds reportedly stormed her residence in Dhaka.
The other main political party, the relatively secular Bangladesh Nationalist Party, would see itself as naturally entitled to assume power after Hasina’s ouster. But its leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, is terminally ill and her son, Tarique Rahman, has long been in exile in London to escape corruption charges. The BNP has largely lost its influence in the country.
Meanwhile, the body of Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was handed over to Bangladesh officials this afternoon by the Meghalaya government at the Dawki Land Port after completion of all paperwork and formalities.
His comments came on a day when former law minister Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman, private industry and investment affairs adviser to the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, were arrested in Dhaka.
Former foreign minister Hassan Mahmud and ex-state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak were arrested last week at the Dhaka airport while attempting to flee the country after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following deadly protests against her government.
According to reports, several top leaders and lawmakers of Hasina’s Awami League and cabinet ministers have left the country. Several other ministers left their official or private residences and are believed to be hiding in safe places.
Asked about any possibility of a counter-revolution, the army chief said he did not know of it.
Asked about any pressure from foreign nations regarding the situation, he replied in the negative. “… this is a unique situation. Everyone understands it. There has been some discussion over the minority issue. A total of 30 minority-related attacks have taken place in 20 districts,” he said.
“We are looking into the incidents. We will bring the criminals to book,” he added.
“The situation has become normal. But the police are still in trauma. Once it’s over, the police will be able to perform their duties properly again,” the army chief said.
“Police have already started working in different police stations. We are giving protection to the police. When they start functioning fully, the situation will become normal. Then we will return to the cantonment,” he added.
“We will provide all-out help to the government. The government wants some reform and to hold a free and fair election. We will provide all sorts of assistance in this regard,” he said, replying to another query.
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