Ali reportedly issued this instruction in a radio message this afternoon (November 16).
"Police members have been ordered to shoot anyone who sets fire to buses, throws improvised bombs, or attacks the police. The order is in accordance with the law. I have asked them (policemen) to perform their duties following the law," he told the media.
Last week, the Chattogram Metropolitan Police commissioner issued similar instructions ahead of the Awami League's lockdown programme.
The International Crimes Tribunal is scheduled to sentence deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (November 17) for crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising. The Awami League has announced a two-day 'complete shutdown' starting today.
The party, whose activities have been banned, held a protest and 'Dhaka Lockdown' programme from November 10 to 13. Since November 10, incidents of arson and bomb explosions have been reported in various parts of the country, including Dhaka.
A student-led mass uprising toppled the Awami League’s autocratic regime in August last year. The government used excessive force during the movement, killing at least 1,400 people and injuring thousands of others.
Hasina fled to India on August 5 and has been staying there since. She has been accused in several cases, including crimes against humanity, murder, enforced disappearances, and corruption.
The government says the Awami League cannot participate in the next national election, scheduled for February next year.
