Desk Report:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that Bangladesh’s top terrorists and extortionists will be brought under the law very soon.
The minister said this at a briefing to journalists after a view-exchange meeting with Fire Service and Civil Defense officials at the conference room of the Home Ministry at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday (March 01, 2026) afternoon.
The minister said that the terrorists have been identified in the Chittagong shooting incident. Various intelligence agencies are working. He said that a terrorist group in Chittagong had asked for extortion from a big businessman two months ago. After that, the Chittagong Police Commissioner had given police guard over the businessman’s security and house. Perhaps the terrorist group did not get the benefit, so it did the same thing again two months later. At that time, they opened fire with heavy weapons.
The minister also said that the Security Ordinance was issued at the end of the interim government. His basis was a clause in the July National Charter pledge. All political parties agreed on that clause. All those who signed the July National Charter agreed on the pledge. He said, those who led and participated in the July mass uprising must be given legal protection. Constitutional protection must be given. We are signing these pledges. We will take whatever decisions we make in light of that, he said.
In response to a question from journalists about how long the members of the Bangladesh Army will remain in the field, the Home Minister said that a decision will be made after high-level discussions on how long the armed forces will remain in the field. The army itself does not want to remain in the field. Because there are problems with their training and other activities. He said that it remains to be seen how much law and order has improved after the government took office.
However, at the moment, I cannot say when the army will be withdrawn from the field. But it is definitely necessary to withdraw it at some point.
Regarding changing the name and uniform of RAB during the interim government, the Home Minister said that there is a public demand for RAB. The July National Charter also recommended that some decisions be taken regarding RAB. He said, “We have to take decisions based on reality. This is a specialized force. The question is whether we want this force or not. The answer is yes. So what model will it be, what will be their jurisdiction, what will be their accountability, how can they be kept transparent, how can we get the best service from them, and a decision will be made on this matter after examining these issues.”
