A palpable sense of fear and anxiety gripped government offices in Dhaka on Tuesday, as the city grappled with the aftermath of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and the military’s assumption of power. Local media reports highlighted the low attendance in various government offices, reflecting the prevailing uncertainty and unease.
The Dhaka Tribune reported that the Secretariat, the hub of government operations, was shrouded in a tense atmosphere on the first day after Hasina’s departure. Ministry offices witnessed significantly lower attendance, with ministers and Members of Parliament conspicuously absent. Those who ventured into work were visibly fearful and anxious.
The newspaper also reported that the Awami League’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue had been set ablaze the previous night, accompanied by looting and vandalism. The lingering smell of the fire emanating from the AL office added to the atmosphere of fear and apprehension within the Secretariat. Rumors of the office’s closure further fueled anxieties among employees.
Following Hasina’s resignation, the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) announced a curfew from midnight on Monday until 6 am on Tuesday. However, all government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous, private institutions, factories, schools, colleges, madrasas, and universities reopened on Tuesday morning. This followed a three-day general holiday declared by the Ministry of Public Administration starting Monday.
The entry passes to the Secretariat were revoked on Tuesday, with only a limited number of police officers, accompanied by army personnel, seen on duty at the main gate. The presence of army personnel alongside police officers was also observed at the Home Ministry office.
Meanwhile, banners and festoons associated with the mournful month of August were removed from government offices, and pictures of Hasina were taken down. Nonetheless, the nameplates of ministers and state ministers remained, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
