Bangladesh extends armed forces judicial powers

Bangladesh's interim government has extended the judicial powers of the armed forces granted after the August revolution that toppled ex-leader Sheikh Hasina.

The government order, issued November 15, extends for two more months the powers of the armed forces to engage in day-to-day enforcement activities like the police, including making arrests.

"The armed forces will carry out the orders assigned to us by the government," army spokesman Sami-Ud-Daula Chowdhury said Sunday.

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, 77, had ordered police to crush student-led protests -- a deadly crackdown that left at least 700 people dead -- before she fled by helicopter to India on August 5.

Her 15-year regime was marred by incidents of preventing the opposition from exercising their democratic rights.

Since then, a caretaker government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has been tasked with implementing democratic reforms and holding elections.

The army was brought in to restore security with many people having lost confidence in the police.

Only officers with the rank of captain or above are authorised to make an arrest, high court lawyer Imam Hasan Tareq said on Sunday.

The powers have been extended to include the coastguard and border security units.