Security measures have been beefed up amid risk of violence as two rival political parties Awami League and BNP have announced that they would take to street today in the capital and in most of the districts.
The government will deploy all its forces to resist any sort of disorder in the country on October 25, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told the parliament on Thursday.
Replying to a question from the Awami League lawmaker ASM Feroz during the scheduled question-answer session for the ministers, he said those engaged in conspiracy against the law and order were the ‘enemy’ of the country.
“So it is the duty of the government to resist subversive activities and save people’s life and property,” said the home minister.
Whip ASM Feroz asked the minister about the government’s plan to stop violence as the tenure was nearing end.
The home minister also said the government had adopted many steps to resist any ‘conspiracy of evil forces’.
Replying to another question, Muhiuddin told the House the number of total prisoners in all jails across the country was 67,372 against their capacity of 32,376.
The capital Dhaka was almost looking bare, with a few transport on the city streets since the evening while the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh had been deployed in and around the capital.
BGB teams throughout Dhaka and Narayanganj have started patrolling the streets since Thursday evening, confirmed BGB Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed.
He said: “We don’t want to incite panic among the public. Thus the fewer the deployment, the better.”
BGB would be available upon request of deputy commissioners in any districts throughout the country, he added.
In the capital, police was seen setting up security check posts in different areas and checking up the commuters’ body and belongings since morning.
“On detective information we have spotted at least 50 spots where evildoers can unleash terror. Additional police have been deployed to these spots,” said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Monirul Islam.
According to sources, additional check posts have been set up in Mirpur, Agargaon, Bijoynagar, Press Club and Dhanmondi areas since Wednesday night. After evening police forces have been reinforced.
The authorities deployed BGB in all key strategic points across the capital and Narayanganj city after Maghrib prayers.
“At least 20 platoons of BGB will keep patrolling the city streets. We have also kept reserved forces ready,” the BGB chief said, adding that the BGB would get back to Pilkhana in the morning if no incident happened at night but it would be kept on alert to rush to any point of the capital anytime on call.
Meanwhile, four platoons of BGB have already been deployed in the port city on Thursday morning as BNP vowed to hold its rally at Laldighi Maidan defying an indefinite ban.
The authorities also deployed four platoons of BGB members in Sylhet city on Thursday afternoon while BGB troops had been called in Bogra town centring today’s demonstration of the 18-party opposition.
“We’ve already been asked for deployment of three platoons of BGB troops in Bogra that have been sent there,” said the BGB chief.
BGB troops have also been deployed at Gaibandha.
