The government will take legal action against those found responsible for the blast and power disruption at a rally of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Savar, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman told Parliament on Tuesday.
Responding to concerns raised by NCP lawmaker Akhter Hossen from Rangpur-4, the minister said the incident was being treated as a matter of utmost importance and assured the Parliament that a transparent investigation would be conducted.
“We assure the Parliament that if anyone is found involved, the government will take the strongest possible legal action against them through a transparent process,” he said.
Earlier, Akhter Hossen informed Parliament that the NCP had launched its nationwide “July March” programme and held its first rally in Savar on Monday night.
He said the electricity supply at the venue was cut shortly before party leaders were scheduled to address the gathering.
The lawmaker alleged that an explosion took place among the crowd, injuring several people and creating panic, which forced organisers to end the programme prematurely.
NCP chief Nahid Islam, several central leaders and Akhter Hossen himself were present at the rally when the incident occurred, he said.
Describing the incident as an attack on democratic rights, Akhter Hossen said the Constitution guarantees citizens’ right to peaceful assembly.
He questioned why power was disrupted during the event and demanded clarification from the government.
He further alleged that attempts had repeatedly been made to obstruct NCP programmes related to the July movement.
Referring to a previous crude bomb explosion outside the party’s office, Akhter Hossen claimed that forces opposed to the July movement were continuing efforts to disrupt the party’s activities.
As the home minister was absent from Parliament, Akhter Hossen urged the Speaker to seek an explanation from the government over the power outage and the explosion, and to ensure accountability for those responsible.
He also sought assurances that opposition parties would be allowed to hold meetings and rallies without obstruction.
