NN Online:
Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Sunday stated that the army had to open fire in Gopalganj due to the urgent and deteriorating situation on the ground at the time.
“The situation required immediate action,” he told reporters following a meeting of the core committee on law and order and security forces held at the Secretariat.
He further said that Section 144, imposed in the district after violent clashes between Awami League supporters and law enforcement personnel, would be lifted in phases.
The violence in Gopalganj erupted when Awami League activists and members of its banned student front, the Chhatra League, reportedly attacked a rally organized by the Nationalist Citizens’ Platform (NCP), resulting in the deaths of five individuals and injuries to many others. A curfew was enforced immediately after the incident, followed by the imposition of Section 144 once the curfew was lifted.
“This emergency measure will also be withdrawn step by step,” Jahangir Alam said. “Whoever is responsible for crimes will face arrest. I’ve made it clear—no criminal will go unpunished, and no innocent person will be wrongly accused.”
Acknowledging the violence, the adviser said, “Yes, the incident in Gopalganj did happen. This is politics. To engage in politics, certain circumstances often arise… In our time, too, universities saw many such incidents. The key question is whether corrective action is being taken—we are doing that.”
When asked whether cases had been filed over the killings in Gopalganj, Jahangir Alam said a committee had been formed to determine the course of action. “It’s not a case of mass arrests. Only those proven to have committed crimes are being detained,” he added.
Asked about reports of nine children being detained in connection with the violence, he responded, “I have no such information.”
Regarding Sunday’s hartal called by the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Jahangir Alam downplayed the scale of unrest. “Yes, a hartal was announced by the Awami League. But was it truly a hartal? Only two vehicles were burned. Some acts of sabotage occurred. But if you compare this with previous hartals, the level of violence was much lower. We believe we’ve successfully contained the situation.”
On whether law enforcement agencies would be able to ensure peace and fairness during the upcoming national election, expected in February or April next year, the adviser expressed confidence. “Why wouldn’t they be able to ensure a fair election? They are undergoing proper training and preparations are underway. We are confident that the election will be held without any major issues.”
