DHAKA, June 22 (Reuters) - Bangladesh ordered on Monday the deployment of troops in Dhaka and five other districts until June 30 as authorities stepped up security ahead of the founding anniversary of the Awami League, the political party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The move comes just a week after the military was withdrawn from nationwide duties on June 15, ending nearly two years of operations following a student-led uprising that forced Hasina from power in August 2024.
Officials said security had been tightened amid concerns that supporters of the former ruling party could attempt to organise gatherings or demonstrations to mark the anniversary despite a ban on its activities.
The restrictions, first imposed by a previous interim administration, remain in place under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government, which took office following elections in February.
"They are attempting to incite unrest through processions and rallies in different districts. Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to remain on high alert to prevent any disorder," Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters.
He said that the army had been deployed based on specific intelligence in Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Faridpur and Gopalganj to prevent sabotage and support the civil administration.
Hasina fled to neighbouring India during the 2024 political turmoil and has remained there since. In November 2025, a domestic war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over her government’s crackdown on protesters, a verdict she has rejected as politically motivated.
Once Bangladesh’s oldest and most dominant political force, the Awami League has been pushed to the margins since losing power. Many of its senior leaders have been arrested, are under investigation or have left the country, underscoring continuing political tensions as the new government seeks to maintain stability after one of the country’s most turbulent periods in decades.
(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
