In a cautious step toward normalcy, the Bangladesh Army announced the phased withdrawal of 50% of its troops deployed for law enforcement duties on Thursday, signalling optimism for post-election stability but raising alarms amid escalating mob violence and political turmoil.
The decision, greenlit by the interim government’s Core Committee on Law and Order on Tuesday, comes as the nation grapples with the fallout from the July 2024 uprising, trials of high-profile figures, and an impending referendum on sweeping reforms. With general elections slated for February 2026, the pullout underscores a delicate balancing act: restoring military readiness while testing the resilience of civilian policing in a fractured security landscape.
The Army’s extended role since August 2024 has been pivotal. Over 15 months, approximately 40,000 to 50,000 personnel have shouldered responsibilities far beyond their core mandateโfrom flood relief in Cumilla and Noakhali to guarding police stations, managing traffic, and quelling civil unrest.
Brig. Gen. Dewan Mohammad Monzur Hossain, Director of the Military Operations Directorate (MOD), highlighted recoveries of 81% of looted weapons and 73% of ammunition from the uprising, alongside the arrest of over 19,000 suspects, including youth gangs, robbers, and extortionists.
Recent operations neutralised over 100 homemade bombs and raided sites like Dhaka’s Airport Railway Station for arms caches. The Army has also provided medical aid to 5,338 July uprising victims at Combined Military Hospitals (CMHs), with 27 still under treatment.
Lt. Gen. Md Mainur Rahman, General Officer Commanding of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC), described the period as “challenging,” noting disruptions to training and operational routines. “We hope that once the election takes place, stability will return,” he said at a Dhaka Cantonment press conference on Wednesday. “The Army will then be able to return to the barracks.” The withdrawal, starting immediately, will rotate troops for rest and election-specific training, with redeployment in phases.
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Around 90,000 to 100,000 personnel are expected for poll duties nationwide. Mainur dismissed “fabricated propaganda” targeting Army leadership, affirming unprecedented unity under Chief of Army Staff General Wakar-uz-Zaman.
Yet, the timing amplifies risks. Bangladesh has witnessed a surge in mob violence since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, with nearly 300 deaths from political clashes and lynchings in the past year, according to rights group Odhikar. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported an “alarming surge” in extrajudicial killings and attacks on minorities, journalists, and women, with 153 mob-related deaths and 7,979 political violence incidents documented.
A recent survey found 80% of citizens are concerned about rising mob attacks, often fueled by unhealed uprising grievances and vigilante justice. In Chattogram, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rally turned deadly Thursday, killing one and injuring two amid clashesโa stark reminder of simmering tensions as campaigns heat up.
Compounding the chaos are parallel justice proceedings. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) has remanded 15 serving Army officers, including Brig. Generals Md Qamrul Hasan, Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, and Md Jahangir Alam, to jail on charges of enforced disappearances and killings during Hasina’s tenure. Warrants issued on October 8 accused them of three cases involving crimes against humanity, with the army taking them into custody on October 11.
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No government directive has clarified their job status, leaving 15 of 25 indicted officers in active service. Prosecutors warn of potential fugitive risks, while a new law prescribing the death penalty for enforced disappearances looms over trials. These cases, probing Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) atrocities, test institutional loyalties and could erode military morale as the pullout proceeds.
At the epicentre is the looming verdict in Hasina’s ICT trial. Scheduled for November 13, the tribunal will rule on charges of orchestrating protest crackdowns that killed over 800 during the July uprising. Prosecutor Md Gulam Rahman sought the death penalty on October 16, alleging Hasina’s direct role in torture and disappearances.
From exile in India, Hasina admitted “mistakes” by security forces but decried the trial’s legitimacy, urging a boycott of the 2026 polls. Her Awami League faces a potential ban, heightening fears of reprisal violence.
Reforms aimed at preventing such cycles are in flux. On October 17, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus hailed the “birth of a new Bangladesh” as 22 to 25 parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, signed the July National Charter at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The document outlines over 80 proposals for electoral, judicial, and economic overhauls, born from uprising demands. Boycotted by the National Citizen Party (NCP) and leftists like CPB, it sets the stage for a referendumโbut timing divides allies.
BNP’s Mirza Fakhrul insists that the withdrawal of troops should coincide with the elections; meanwhile, Jamaat is now advocating for pre-poll balloting and warning of “action” if their demands are not met. Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury of BNP decried “desperation” for an early vote as suspicious, amid allegations of conspiracies to derail the February polls.
The election crisis looms large. The deep state actor, the International Republican Institute’s October assessment, flagged instability, with BNP claiming plots to postpone or rig the vote. Expat voting rights for 15 million abroad could sway outcomes, but fundamentalist gains threaten minorities like Christians. Political consensus evades the National Consensus Commission, per analysts.
For law and order, the pullout is a high-stakes gamble. Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury hinted at sustained deployment with magistracy powers during polls. Yet, without full Army backing, policeโstill rebuilding post-uprisingโface overload. “People cannot imagine how badly the situation would have deteriorated without our presence,” Mainur cautioned.
As mob fury and trial verdicts collide with reform deadlines, the army’s retreat could either herald democratic renewal or unleash anarchy.
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