A tense situation is prevailing across Bangladesh after the fall of the Awami League government with its leader, Sheikh Hasina, departing the country amid a protracted volatile situation in which at least 300 people have lost their lives and properties worth several thousand crore been damaged.
Formation of an interim government has been in the making with Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus expected to be its chief as proposed by the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement. But nothing concrete came out of discussion among the leaders of different political parties convened by the Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman until the evening on Tuesday.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the Parliament and the national elections are likely to be organized within three months, otherwise, a political vacuum may arise. The decision to dissolve the parliament came following the discussions between chiefs of three staffs of armed forces, leaders of different political parties, representatives of civil society and leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
In another major development, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was released. Moreover, a Dhaka court has granted bail to over 1,000 BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists including BNP Standing Committee member and former minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the case of sabotage in the name of quota reform movement.
However, an uneasy calm has been prevailing in Dhaka and other major cities in the absence of the members of law enforcing agencies mainly police and Rapid Action Battalion. As a result, law and order situation has deteriorated further after a section of people has gone an orgy of looting and torching houses and establishments owned by the Awami League leaders across the country.
The situation in Dhaka was largely calm on Tuesday a day after the fall of the government. The presence of traffic policemen was not seen on the most of the streets of the capital as many police outposts in different parts of the city and elsewhere in the country were set afire.
After the loss of many valuable lives and serious damage to public and private properties, the nation has achieved a victory that should be upheld in the years to come. The country is now undergoing a great transformation towards a credible and lasting democracy which is coveted people from all strata.
In this crucial moment, we urge all citizens irrespective of their political affiliations to exercise restraint and be on guard against any evil forces who are still involved in destructive activities. This is high time for the nation to restore law and order in the country.
