(Dhaka) Bangladeshi police resumed patrols in the capital Dhaka on Monday, ending nearly a week of strikes that began after the army seized control of the country and the former prime minister fled abroad.
The police disappeared from the streets of the megacity of 20 million people last week, after Sheikh Hasina resigned after 15 years in power.
Police have been criticised for spearheading a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests, in which more than 450 people have been killed, including 42 officers.
The security forces had pledged to resume work once the safety of its members was guaranteed, and agreed to work again after night-long talks with the new interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
PHOTO INDRANIL MUKHERJEE, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The interim government of Bangladesh is headed by Muhammad Yunus.
“It’s good to be back,” police officer Snehasish Das, who was on duty directing traffic at a busy intersection, told AFP.
The protests, led by students against the government of Mme Hasina, were largely peaceful before violent police intervention to disperse them.
Some 450 of the country’s 600 police stations have been burned or vandalized in attacks, according to the national police union.
PHOTO LUIS TATO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Police vehicles that were set on fire during anti-government protests are seen inside the compound of a police station in Dhaka on August 11.
Several reopened late last week under the protection of the military, an institution held in higher esteem for its overall refusal to participate in the repression.
In the absence of police, students leading the protests volunteered to restore order, following looting and reprisal attacks in the hours after Mr.me Hasina.
There have been widespread reports of violence against Hindu homes, temples and businesses following M’s departure.me Hasina to India.
The religious minority, the largest in the South Asian country of 170 million people, is largely Muslim, and is seen as a staunch supporter of the Awami League, Mr.me Hasina.
The leadership of Jamaat, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, said it would meet with representatives of the Hindu community and other minorities on Monday to ease tensions.
An 84-year-old economist, Mr Yunus has agreed to take over the interim government pending “free elections”.
Interior Minister Sakhawat Hossain said on Monday that the caretaker government had no plans to ban the Awami League.