Police officers check motorists in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, on Feb. 7, 2018. Authorities heightened security in the capital, one day ahead of the delivery of a verdict over former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's graft case. (Xinhua/Salim reza)
DHAKA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Paramilitary soldiers have been deployed in Bangladesh as part of security measures to thwart any untoward incident ahead of a court verdict on Thursday in the corruption trial of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia amid escalating tensions.
Major General Abul Hossain, director general of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), told Xinhua on Wednesday afternoon that the paramilitary BGB soldiers have been deployed.
He could not disclose immediately the exact number of troops being deployed.
"We're sending troops to different places based on calls from local administrations," he said.
Sources said the BGB deployment has been done initially in a limited scale but the forces have been asked to remain ready to carry out any further order to prevent any act of sabotage over the impending verdict in a graft case against Zia, chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Khaleda Zia has been charged in 30 cases, including five on corruption and 15 for masterminding violence in the BNP's anti-government movements since 2014.
Of the five corruption cases, the trial proceedings in Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases against Zia have been completed and will be delivered Thursday.
The graft case was filed in July 2008 which said Zia and five others including her son and BNP's senior vice president Tarique Rahman, had embezzled over 20 million takas (253,164 U.S. dollars) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust during her 2001-2006 prime minister term.
BNP leaders have threatened to initiate a tough movement against the incumbent government if any unjustified verdict is given against Zia on Thursday.
Obaidul Quader, Awami League (AL) general secretary and the country's road transport and bridges minister, has warned that befitting reply will be given to BNP if they try to carry out destructive activities regarding the court verdict.
Security has been beefed up in places in the capital of Dhaka since Tuesday.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police has already imposed an indefinite ban on meetings, processions and rallies in the capital from Thursday morning, a step the opposition described as an attempt to mute dissenting voices.
Hundreds of BNP members including its several front line leaders have already been detained.
Experts said if the opposition chief is convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, she might be barred from participating in the next general election slated for next year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's AL party, which rose to power with a landslide election victory in early 2009 and won its second term in 2014, now eyes for the third consecutive victory.
The AL is facing challenges from Zia's BNP, which boycotted the 2014 elections.
Some 21 parties including Zia's BNP boycotted the parliament elections in 2014 as Hasina did not heed their demand for a non-party caretaker government to hold the polls.
BNP has been demanding parliament polls under a non-party government.
