Restoring law and order in Bangladesh a priority: Caretaker govt

Anarchy has gripped nation in recent days after PM’s ouster

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Improving law and order in Bangladesh is a priority for the newly appointed caretaker government, the adviser to the Interior Ministry said on Aug 9, as the strifetorn nation limps to normalcy after Ms Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled.

Ms Hasina left for neighbouring India on Aug 5 after weeks of deadly protests forced her to quit.

An interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, was sworn in on Aug 8 and will be tasked with holding elections.

Retired brigadier-general M. Sakhawat Hossain told Reuters the interim government will first try to improve the law and order situation in the country.

"And number two, bring back the confidence within the law enforcement agencies, which I feel has gone very drastically low," he said in a telephone interview.

The fall of Ms Hasina's government triggered both jubilation and violence as crowds stormed and ransacked her official residence in the capital Dhaka, while statues of her father, independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were defaced and brought down in different parts of the country.