Focused on improving law and order situation: New B’desh security adviser

DHAKA, Aug 19: A newly-appointed top Bangladeshi security official on Monday acknowledged that law and order is the main challenge for the interim government and said that the new administration is focused on improving the situation as quickly as possible.
Talking to the media, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury emphasised the urgency of addressing security concerns and outlined his dual responsibilities in both home affairs and agriculture.
“Our main challenge at the Ministry of Home Affairs is law and order. We are focused on improving the situation as quickly as possible,” Chowdhur was quoted as saying by the UNB news.
The law and order situation deteriorated in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in government jobs. Over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students.
Talking to the media, Chowdhury also discussed his objectives in the agriculture sector, saying his goal is to increase production and ensure that “we can feed more people.”
Earlier in the day, Chowdhury met with UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis and discussed the United Nations’ potential support in various sectors. “Our discussions centred on the types of assistance they can provide in this situation and which areas we are seeking help in,” he said.
On the Rohingya crisis, he said that the government has requested additional support from the UN. “The Rohingya population is growing daily, with 1.2 million people now in the country. The costs are escalating, and it’s uncertain how long we can sustain this,” he said.
Chowdhury also said that a UN fact-finding mission is expected to arrive in Bangladesh next week. “We discussed the kind of support they will offer and what assistance we require from them,” he added.
Fresh murder cases filed against ousted PM Hasina
Two new murder cases were filed on Monday against Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-ministers of her cabinet over the killings of two people during the quota reform protests in the country that led to her ouster.
These were the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old former premier, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs.
This raises the number of cases filed against Hasina after her ouster to fifteen. (PTI)