Tensions mount in Bangladesh: Paramilitary troops deployed, law agencies to intensify vigil

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has deployed forces across the country, with several hundred paramilitary personnel patrolling the capital, Dhaka, and other major cities. Elite anti-crime unit Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is also on high alert.

Amid escalating tensions following two days of violent clashes, the Bangladesh government has deployed paramilitary troops and intensified security measures as a three-day nationwide transport blockade, called by the main opposition party BNP, began on Tuesday.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has deployed forces across the country, with several hundred paramilitary personnel patrolling the capital, Dhaka, and other major cities. Elite anti-crime unit Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is also on high alert.

The Home Minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, convened a meeting of the "core committee on law and order affairs" to review the security situation, instructing law enforcement and intelligence agencies to remain vigilant against acts of sabotage and violence during the 72-hour opposition blockade.

This opposition blockade follows two days of violence in which two garments workers died in clashes with police as they demanded higher wages in the Gazipur industrial district. While this unrest is linked to labor issues, authorities have issued directives to address workers' concerns through negotiations to prevent further political turmoil.

Factory workers have been protesting for higher wages for the past week, as an earlier government-formed Wage Board had not reached an agreement with factory owners and labor representatives.

In the midst of this turmoil, at least four people have been killed, including an on-duty policeman and three activists from the ruling Awami League and the BNP, further complicating the situation in Dhaka and other areas.