The Bangladesh Army has not yet received any official directive from the government regarding potential deployment for the upcoming parliamentary election, which is speculated to be held in February next year.
Speaking at a press conference at the Officers` Mess in Dhaka Cantonment on Thursday, Colonel Staff Shafiqul Islam from the Directorate of Military Operations said, "We have not officially received any instructions from the government regarding the February election. If we are tasked, we will carry out our responsibilities accordingly."
The February election timeline has been widely discussed following a joint statement from Muhammad Yunus and Tareque Rahman during their London meeting in February, where the possibility of holding the election before Ramadan was mentioned.
Addressing questions about recent "mob justice" incidents, Colonel Shafiqul Islam said the army maintains a strict stance on such occurrences. "We have taken firm action in the past and will continue to do so in the future."
Regarding the Eid-ul-Adha travel period, he noted that the army was highly active in managing traffic congestion and ensuring passenger safety. "Our personnel, including female officers and soldiers, worked on the roads day and night to maintain order. Through our efforts, around BDT 3.5 million in overcharged fares were refunded to passengers."
He added that, compared to previous years, road accidents and fatalities during this Eid were reduced by approximately 40% due to the army`s involvement.
The press conference also addressed the incident where a flag vendor was beaten by a soldier during the Bangladesh-Singapore football match on June 10.
Shafiqul Islam acknowledged it as an "unfortunate and isolated" incident. He said the army later met with the vendor to express regret and provided financial assistance of BDT 100,000 to support his business.
On the issue of recent push-in attempts by India across the border, Colonel Shafiqul stated that the Border Guard and Coast Guard are on high alert and intelligence operations have been intensified, though army intervention has not been required.
He also mentioned that current restrictions on tourist access to some hill areas will soon be lifted.
