During the nearly two and a half hour meeting, the final withdrawal of the army from the field, law and order situation in the country, extortion across the country, change in police uniform and other issues were discussed.
The then Awami League government had imposed curfew on July 19, 2024 and deployed the army after the agitation demanding quota reforms in government jobs turned violent.
After the Awami League government was ousted from power on 5 August that year amid intense protests and the collapse of the police force, the army remained deployed. On 17 September of the same year, the interim government also granted magisterial powers to the army.
Army chief General Wakar-uz-Zaman said in August 2024 that the army wanted to return to barracks, adding that soldiers would go back to their regular duties after the police was reorganized. After this, from November last year, some army personnel started being removed from the field.
However, like last time, troops remained deployed during the election period. Following the parliamentary elections, on 16 February, the army chief said that the army would return to barracks after the newly elected government took office.
According to relevant sources, around 17,000 army personnel are still deployed at the field level across the country. The Defense Ministry had repeatedly requested the Home Ministry for the final withdrawal, citing fatigue among personnel due to prolonged deployment and the need for rest.