Bangladeshi authorities announced on Monday that military personnel would be deployed in Dhaka and five other districts through June 30 as officials intensified security measures ahead of the founding anniversary of the Awami League, the political organisation associated with former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The troop deployment covers Dhaka plus Chattogram, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Faridpur and Gopalganj. Officials said the move was taken to guard against potential acts of sabotage and to bolster the capacity of the civil administration, citing specific intelligence as the basis for the decision.
This development arrives one week after the military was withdrawn from nationwide duties on June 15, bringing to an end almost two years of operations that began after a student-led uprising led to the removal of Hasina from power in August 2024. Authorities said the deployment is a temporary security measure limited in duration to the end of the month.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters that law enforcement agencies have been ordered to remain on high alert. "They are attempting to incite unrest through processions and rallies in different districts," he said, describing the rationale for heightened vigilance and the decision to use military support where needed to prevent disorder.
Restrictions on the Awami League - originally imposed by an interim administration - remain enforced under the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which assumed office after elections in February. Officials have expressed concerns that, despite the ban on party activities, supporters of the former ruling party might try to organise processions or demonstrations to mark the anniversary.
Sheikh Hasina fled to neighbouring India during the 2024 political turmoil and has stayed there since. In November 2025 a domestic war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over her government’s crackdown on protesters; Hasina has rejected the verdict as politically motivated.
Once Bangladesh’s dominant political force, the Awami League has been marginalized since losing power. Many senior party figures have been arrested, are under investigation or have left the country, a situation officials say underscores the continuing political tensions as the new government works to preserve stability after a prolonged period of upheaval.
Context note: The government characterised the deployments as narrowly focused, intelligence-driven measures to prevent disruption and to assist civil authorities in maintaining order during a politically sensitive anniversary period.