Prime Minister’s Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said that if any BNP member is found to have been involved in the attacks on the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur or Salman Muqtadir’s studio, they will face legal action.
He also said that those responsible for any incident involving violence, vandalism or violations of citizens’ rights will be brought under the law following a proper investigation.
Zahed made the remarks on Tuesday while responding to questions about recent incidents of violent attacks and illegal occupation during a weekly briefing at the Secretariat.
“Preventing crime and ensuring justice are among the state’s fundamental responsibilities. Investigations will not be halted midway, and if any member of the ruling party or any instance of police negligence is proven during the investigation, no one will be spared,” he said.
The government is accountable for ensuring public safety. If the rights of any citizen are violated, property is damaged, or an individual becomes the target of an attack, the government feels regret and embarrassment over every such incident, even if the victim is a criminal, he added.
Referring to the attacks on Radda Centre and Salman Muqtadir’s studio, Zahed said those involved in vandalism and criminal activities are being identified and apprehended, and a detailed investigation is underway.
The adviser also said that the government spoke to Salman Muqtadir with sympathy because he had suffered losses and was a victim of the incident.
“We are sympathetic to him,” he said.
He added that after watching Salman Muqtadir’s video, the Jamaat chief immediately posted a status on his verified Facebook account. “That post is still there, where extortion was specifically mentioned and the government and a political party were blamed.”
“Later, however, new information emerged. Let me reiterate that the government is not defending any violence or wrongdoing. Whatever happened should not have happened. It should have been prevented,” he said.
The adviser said it was now the government’s responsibility to ensure an investigation and justice. “You can already see that action is being taken. There is no debate about that.”
He noted that Salman Muqtadir later acknowledged that the situation was not exactly as initially described and that not only his establishment, but other establishments had also been vandalised. “Yet the opposition leader’s Facebook post remains unchanged,” he said.
The adviser further alleged that, besides the opposition leader, many prominent NCP leaders targetted not only the BNP but also the BNP chief and the head of the government with objectionable remarks.
