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Published : 22 Jun 2026, 02:49 PM
The government has decided to deploy the Army across six districts to maintain law and order surrounding the founding anniversary of the Awami League, whose activities are currently banned.
An official order to this effect will be issued on Monday, a home ministry official said, naming Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Faridpur, Gopalganj, and Chattogram as the areas chosen for initial deployment.
The troops will serve under the “In Aid to Civil Power” mandate for one week to keep the situation stable and support other law-enforcing agencies during the Jun 23 anniversary events.
Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs KM Yasir Arafat on Monday sent a formal letter to the principal staff officer of the Bangladesh Army requesting the deployment from Jun 22 to Jun 30.
The letter highlighted apprehensions that organisations with banned activities might stage unlawful processions, showdowns, and other programmes to orchestrate “sabotage and disorder”.
Such actions could trigger a breakdown of public order and cause massive damage to life and property across multiple districts, it added.
In this context, the ministry sought deployment in the metropolitan areas of Dhaka, Chattogram, and Gazipur, alongside Narayanganj, Gopalganj, and Faridpur districts to ensure public safety and maintain order.
The prospect of unrest surrounding Awami League anniversary programmes has been a topic of discussion for several days.
Police Headquarters issued an urgent alert on Thursday, directing units nationwide to step up vigilance and strengthen security measures.
The advisory warned that party activists could attempt to raise flags at local offices and stage public processions carrying anniversary banners in different parts of the country.
Police said such activities could spark confrontations with activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and the Students Against Discrimination.
The dispatch also noted that any attempts by law enforcers to disrupt these events could draw public ire and aggression from the activists.
Born out of the 2024 July Uprising that forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee, the NCP and its student base remain fiercely opposed to her party's resurgence.
Separately, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed that 18,000 officers will take to the capital's streets on Jun 23.
The DMP said on Sunday night that special pickets and checkpoints would be set up at more than 200 strategic locations, while security checks at all entry points to Dhaka would be intensified.
Specialised units, including the Detective Branch (DB) and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, will remain on active duty alongside regular police personnel.
Intelligence gathering will also be stepped up, with officers from the Special Branch (SB) and Internal Affairs Division (IAD) conducting surveillance operations.
The DMP said 15 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) would remain on standby across the city, while reserve forces would be stationed at four major control rooms to respond to any emergency.
The city police chief and senior commanders will be on the ground to personally oversee the security operations, it added.
