TDS Desk

The army is working alongside other law enforcement agencies to prevent attacks and sabotage on important national buildings or KPIs and to ensure security, said Colonel Intekhab Haider Khan, colonel staff of the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters.

An investigation will be conducted into the fire incident at the Secretariat. Once the investigation is done, the cause of the fire will be known. The army is providing full cooperation to the Fire Service personnel there, he said during a press briefing on Thursday.

When asked about sabotage or fire incidents at important government buildings, such as the Secretariat, the army official responded to reporters by saying: “The incident has just occurred. We have not received detailed information yet. However, the army is working on the security of important buildings.”

In response to another question, Colonel Intekhab said: “The duration of the army’s deployment in the field is a matter of government decision. The army is working to maintain law and order based on the government’s decision. Therefore, the army will be withdrawn according to the government’s decision.”

He said: “The army has been trained to take on the responsibility of law enforcement. However, the army is working in coordination with other law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order.”

When asked about security risks in Cox’s Bazar, he replied: “There is no security risk to sovereignty at this moment. The army is always working in a state of alert in that area. If any security risks arise, the army is prepared to take appropriate measures. Additionally, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, and other law enforcement agencies are working on preventing the illegal entry of Rohingyas.”

Regarding the attack and arson in Bandarban, he said: “This was due to a land dispute. There was no other reason.”

During the briefing at the Banani Officers’ Mess at the Dhaka Cantonment, Colonel Intekhab Haider Khan presented a written statement about the army’s activities in maintaining law and order. In the statement, he said, that since November 28, the army has recovered 28 illegal firearms and 424 rounds of ammunition to maintain law and order.

During this time, the army played an active role in managing 67 unstable situations in various industrial areas (mainly in Gazipur, Ashulia, and Savar) and handled 13 incidents of road blockages arising from these situations. The army has taken coordinated steps with factory owners, workers, relevant ministries, industrial police, and BGMEA to keep the factories operational. As a result, all but one of the 2,093 garment factories in the country are currently open.

Apart from industrial areas, army personnel have managed 45 different types of chaotic situations in the past month. These included 5 incidents related to educational institutions, three related to government organizations or offices, seven political disputes, and 30 other types of incidents.