Law enforcers to face action if they fail to prevent AL processions: Home adviser

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Col (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said that law enforcement agencies have been instructed to prevent the Awami League (AL) from holding processions in the future. 

"Police officers have been instructed that if they fail to control this properly, disciplinary action will be taken against them," he said while talking to reporters after inspecting the Airport Police Station in Dhaka today (19 April).

Jahangir's remarks came against the backdrop of recent flash processions brought out leaders and activists of the Awami League and its wings in Dhaka city and elsewhere.

"Two people have already been detained. Instructions have been issued to the police to prevent such events from taking place in the future," he said, adding that efforts are underway to further improve the country's overall law and order situation

In response to queries about police officers remaining in their previous postings despite transfer orders, Jahangir said action would be taken if specific information is provided.

On the issue of police transfers, he said, "We are considering whether general police personnel can be assigned within the same division. When officers are posted far from their families, it limits their leave days.

"They are entitled to only 20 days of annual leave, and often we are unable to grant even that. That is why we are looking into the possibility of intra-divisional postings," he said.

The home adviser also said his visit to police stations was aimed at assessing and improving accommodation and food facilities for police personnel.

Since the AL was toppled from power in last year's mass uprising that saw much bloodshed, the party's leaders and activists have been in hiding and unable to carry out any programmes in public. They had to resort to flash processions that lasted several minutes before dispersing, which still led to arrests of party men.

On Thursday (17 April), police detained three men belonging to the Awami Jubo League and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) after they brought out a flash procession at the Bahaddarhat intersection in Chattogram.

In the face of mass demand, the interim government in October last year had banned BCL as a terrorist organisation because of the involvement of its leaders and activists in criminal activities.

Even though a ban on AL has been demanded by many quarters because of their involvement in the crimes committed during the July Uprising, the government has yet to impose one on the party.

Meanwhile, AL and its allies -- Jatiyo Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party of Bangladesh -- have been sidelined while the interim government continues the state reform process before holding the next general election -- mostly due to popular demand as general people and many political parties are against the idea of bringing them back in to the fold.     

Meanwhile, in a media statement issued yesterday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said police have already arrested several members of the banned BCL and like-minded organisations who participated in recent flash demonstrations across the capital.

DMP said police made the arrests after analysing the photos and videos of the events posted on social media.

It said the banned organisation BCL and their like-minded groups have recently been conducting flash demonstrations in various parts of the capital, attempting to create an unstable environment and spread panic among the public. 

"These groups follow police movements, exit vehicles in specific areas, conduct flash protests for one or two minutes, and quickly flee the scene," said the statement signed by Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media and public relations) of DMP.

"Later, they post photos and videos of these demonstrations on social media to assert their presence," read the statement.

While immediate arrests have not always been possible during these flash protests, the DMP has successfully identified and apprehended many participants through subsequent analysis of digital evidence.

DMP assured the public that police remain vigilant in preventing activities of these "isolated and illegal organisations" and requested citizens not to be unnecessarily alarmed about their scattered activities.