This is an unofficial translation of the Bengali conversation.
[Some small revisions were made to this translation on 22 January 2026 indicated by an *]

Taposh: (Phone ringing) Do what I told you to do.

Hasina: (Phone ringing) Hello?

Taposh: Yes, Assalamu Alaikum.

Hasina: Yes, Wa Alaikum Assalam.

Taposh: Yes.

Hasina: Yes, son (Baba)…

Hasina: Call me on the normal phone (line) — the internet’s not working well.

Taposh: On a normal phone, on a normal phone.

Hasina: Okay — go on, son….

Taposh: Yes, the ‘shontrashis’ (violent* political operatives (1)) are moving around different areas at different times – who knows where or what kind of attack they might launch next.

Hasina: No, they are (attacking)*; we’re, I am taking measures* against them them again. Also have they set fire to the Abahani Club?

Taposh: I think they have* attacked the Secretariat — and Abahani Club too.

Hasina: Where?

Taposh: They’ve attacked the Secretariat too — don’t you know?

Hasina: No.

Taposh: Yes — the home minister is there. They’ve attacked the Secretariat several times, and if at night they start attacking various sensitive residences, then that’ll be…

Hasina: At night all the vigilances will be on, and so far—okay, fine. I’m taking measures now. Bit by bit, gatherings are being cleared in many places.

Taposh: Doesn’t it look like they will do, it seems they have a lot more plans for the night. The Home Minister told me the same, he hinted at it — and I think he may have asked you as well whether you might take the extreme step, will you do the thing?

Hasina: Do what*?

Taposh: I mean deploy the military?

Hasina: Son, (Baba), think before speaking please

Taposh: Of course!

Hasina: That’s exactly what they want.

Taposh: I understand that’s what it is technically, but they are probably trying to push things that way.

Hasina: No need for that, no need. I’ve spoken with the army chief — they’ll be on alert, that’s fine* Now we’re taking other steps: we’re taking aerial photos with drones and using helicopters for the thing, over a few locations.

Taposh: Can’t we use those images and make arrests tonight*?

Hasina: I’ve given the order to arrest the whole lot of them.

Taposh: Yes — if they’re arrested…

Hasina: No, that has already been communicated. Regarding that, RAB, DGFI, and NA (sic) — everyone has been told “capture (detain) as many as you can from wherever you can.”

Taposh: Yes.

Hasina: That’s already been communicated. And wherever they see gatherings, from now on, I’m having them do the thing from above — it has started already in a few places.

Taposh: Yes

Hasina: — It’s done.

Taposh: Yes, yes — it seems they’re moving toward the Mohammadpur police station area. The Home Minister told me.

Hasina: Toward Mohammadpur police station

Taposh: Yes.

Hasina: Then [the home minister should] send the RAB there.

Taposh: Yes — need your authorization; he hasn’t yet, I mean…

Hasina: I’ve already given the instruction. This is an open directive now. They’re to use lethal weapons. Wherever they’re found, shoot on sight.

Taposh: Yes—yes.

Hasina: The order is there; I had been holding back* for all these days. You know, those students — thinking of their safety — and then…

Taposh: No — at night it’s not the students, at night it’s shontrashis (violent political operatives).

Hasina: No — what happened was,  there was this one boy from the Residential Model School; his teacher called him and brought him, the teacher was supposedly a Shibir member [in student life] — they didn’t know. Then that boy was killed. He had just one bullet shot in his chest, but the police didn’t use any revolver.

Taposh: Hmm…yes

Hasina: They are doing things like this*.

Taposh: Yes — you should employ maximum security

Hasina: Fires everywhere… BRTC and BTRC have been shut and set on fire; they’ve even set the BTV on fire, and now the internet is down — they’ve burned everything. How anything can work now

Taposh: Yes, that’s good, yes.

Hasina: No — they’ve burned it down. All the machinery and documents have been destroyed. What I asked to burn down…he burned down the Shetu Bhaban (headquarters of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority)

Taposh: Yes — it looks like they’ll mount even larger attacks at night.

Hasina: Yes, the Disaster Management office has been torched.

Taposh: Yes — because when I was returning I saw them out in the streets, doing the thing in different places

Hasina: Which places?

Taposh: Banani, and you don’t see this usually in Banani or Gulshan, but now they’re moving into those areas too — there’s movement everywhere, they could [strike] in [different] places*.

Hasina: Alright, I’m taking care of that.

Taposh: Of course

Hasina: You all be careful

Taposh: Yes, I’m being careful.

Hasina: Alright.

Taposh: We have to make arrests — round them all up within the night.

Hasina: Of course — that’s already been ordered. It will start once it’s later into the night.

Taposh: Yes, yes

Hasina: We’re taking other measures.

Taposh: Yes — yes.

Hasina: Yes, okay.

Taposh: Assalamu Alaikum.

———-

(1) The Bangla word ‘shontrashi’ (সন্ত্রাসী) can literally mean ‘terrorist’. However, it is not used in Bangla usage to mean ‘terrorist’, as the English term is widely understood. Here, the Bangla context suggests that Taposh uses the word to mean violent actors who will use violence – which may or may not involve the use of firearms and or other weapons. This is understood in vernacular Bangla and by Bangla speakers. This is why the translation ‘violent political operators’ is chosen, as this conveys a more precise and context-appropriate meaning than a literal translation. [Note from the translator]