The interim government in a meeting on Monday decided that the police would no longer be allowed to carry or use lethal weapons in the wake of their indiscriminate use by police and other forces against protesters during the July uprising in 2024.
It also decided to restructure the Rapid Action Battalion which was accused of human rights violations and abuse of power during the tenures of ousted Awami League government.
The decisions were taken at the 9th meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Law and Order, held at the ministry of home affairs.
After the meeting, home affairs adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at a press聽 briefing at his ministry said the police will no longer carry lethal weapons and they will have to surrender such weapons.
He, however, said the lethal weapons will remain only with members of the Armed Police Battalion, a specialised combat unit of the Bangladesh Police.
After the ouster of the Awami League government amid a student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024, demands were made by various quarters not to keep deadly weapons at the hands of the police.
Apart from such demands, several deputy commissioners at their national-level conference held in Dhaka in February also recommended that such weapons should not be kept at the hands of the police.
The police have at their disposal rifles, pistols, submachine guns, light machine guns, shotguns, teargas launchers, sniper rifles, and machine guns, according to officials.
Without elaborating, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that police do not need lethal weapons while going on operations.
As to when this decision will come into effect, he said, 鈥楾he decision has only been made today. Any decision is not implemented immediately. It will take some time.鈥�
The home affairs adviser also said a committee has been formed led by Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for the home ministry, to decide what kind of weapons can be kept with the police and how they will work.
A committee has also been formed to review whether the RAB will remain under its current name, whether it will have its current uniform, and how the force will be reorganised, Jahangir further said.
The committee was formed led by retired Lieutenant General Abdul Hafiz, special assistant to chief adviser and it will have five to six members, including members from different forces.
Earlier, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recommended disbanding the RAB.
The recommendation was included in the fact-finding report released in February regarding the violence surrounding the July-August uprising.
On December 10 last, the BNP also recommended the dissolution of the RAB, which is currently under US sanctions for serious human rights violations.
The home adviser also told the press briefing that all garment workers must be paid their wages before Eid.
鈥楾he employers are under the obligation to pay due salaries, but any illegal demands by workers will not be accepted. Unlawful protests will also not be tolerated,鈥� he warned.
About strengthening public safety at the sacrificial cattle markets, Jahangir said each market in the capital will be required to deploy 100 members of the Ansar force.
The Highway Police will remain active on the roads during Eid to ensure smooth travel and prevent extortion.
The meeting also discussed push-ins by India. The home adviser said that the primary focus of the Monday鈥檚 meeting was the issue of India鈥檚 push-in of individuals to Bangladesh.
He stated that India has forcibly returned a significant number of people, the majority of whom are identified as Bangladeshi citizens.
Border Guard Bangladesh director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui at the briefing said that the Indian Border Security Force pushed around 200 individuals into Bangladesh on May 7 and 8 through the unpopulated areas of Roumari, Panchhari, and Kurigram.
He said that among those pushed in were 39 Rohingya individuals who had previously gone to India from Bangladesh.
However, five of those Rohingyas were found to possess identification cards issued by the UNHCR in India.
A flag meeting has been convened regarding this matter, and the foreign ministry will formally inform India of the meeting, said the BGB chief.