All Army to return to barracks by June

The government has decided to withdraw all army personnel from field-level deployment by June, following a meeting of the law and order core committee held on Tuesday (May 6).

The meeting, chaired by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, approved a plan to begin the final phase of troop withdrawal from June 6.

According to the decision, army personnel will first be withdrawn from remote districts. The process will then continue in phases, covering divisional cities and major districts. All troops are expected to return to their barracks within June.

The army was deployed on July 19, 2024, after the then Awami League government imposed a curfew amid widespread unrest.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, in the face of mass protests, the police force collapsed significantly, prompting the military to remain deployed in the field. The interim government later granted the army magistracy powers on September 17 of that year.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, said the army’s magistracy powers are no longer in effect after the elections.

“At present, the army is deployed mainly as a striking force to support security operations,” he said, adding that while the military previously exercised powers such as making arrests and taking legal action, it is no longer directly involved in such activities.