The interim government at a meeting Monday decided to remove lethal weapons from the police force, which has faced an image crisis due to the indiscriminate use of arms during the July-August protests, report agencies.
The decision came during the ninth meeting of the Law and Order Advisory Council Committee at the Secretariat, according to Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
He also announced that the government would restructure the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in line with the OHCHR recommendations.
Jahangir said: "Police will no longer be allowed to carry any lethal weapons. These must be returned.
But the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) will retain its weapons, he added.
Jahangir noted that the implementation of this decision would take some time.
A recommendation from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which in a report released on February 12 called for the disbanding of Rab for its alleged involvement in serious human rights violations.
The OHCHR report also recommended restricting the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to border protection duties and confining the Defence Intelligence Directorate (DGFI) to military intelligence functions.
Welcoming the report, the adviser said it was a positive step, and the government has decided to act accordingly.
Turning to the readymade garment (RMG) sector, the adviser said wages and bonuses of garment workers must be paid before Eid-ul-Azha. He warned of stern action if workers take to the streets with what he termed 'irrational' demands. Ahead of the Eid festivities, Jahangir also ordered the deployment of 100 Ansar members at each cattle market to curb extortion. He also directed the authorities concerned to ensure smooth and secure travel for holidaymakers.
Later, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chief Maj Gen Md Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said that India's Border Security Force (BSF) had pushed 202 people into Bangladesh over the past few days, five of whom are Indian nationals.
"These matters have been communicated to their foreign ministry through ours," he said. The BGB chief added that attempts to send people across the border into Bangladesh are "still under way".
