Govt to bring individuals responsible for destruction to justice: CA

Highlights

• The government vows to bring those responsible for destruction to justice
• Security forces are working to maintain stability and protect lives and property
• Any attempt to create anarchy or destroy property will be met with firm law enforcement
• The attack on Sheikh Mujib's Dhanmondi-32 residence deemed unwanted but linked to Sheikh Hasina's speech from India
• The government commits to resisting ongoing vandalism and arson

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said the government will bring individuals responsible for destruction to justice. 

In a statement issued today (7 February) amid ongoing vandalism and attack on properties and murals of the Sheikh family and Awami League leaders, the chief adviser said the government is working with the country's security forces to preserve law and order and to protect the lives and property of all Bangladeshis.

He said, "If any attempt is made to destabilise the country through any kind of provocative activities, law enforcement agencies will immediately take strict action against anyone acting to create chaos and anarchy, which emphatically includes the destruction of property.

"The government will bring the responsible individuals and groups to justice."

He called on all citizens to immediately restore complete law and order and to ensure there will be no further attacks on properties associated with the family of Sheikh Hasina and politicians of the fascist Awami League party or against any citizen on any pretext.

The chief adviser emphasised, "The anger of the activists who have attacked properties is understandable because they and their relatives and friends lived through years of tyranny under Hasina. The government understands the activists' sense of outrage that even from her refuge in New Delhi Hasina continues to try to mobilise her militants to hamper Bangladesh's recovery from her years of abuse."

"Despite this understanding, the Government appeals to the citizens to abide by the law to show the world we are a nation that respects of the rule of law. Respecting the rule of law is what differentiates the new Bangladesh we are working together to build from the old Bangladesh under the fascist regime. Let us not undermine Bangladeshis' sense of security and stability; any disregard for the law endangers the lives and property of citizens," he added.

Addressing the citizens who rose and overthrew the Hasina regime in July and August to realise their dreams for the country, he said, "It is imperative to prove to ourselves and our friends around the world that our commitment to our principles – respecting one another's civil and human rights and acting under the law – is unshakable. Champions of a just new Bangladesh must never act in ways that could support any perceived equivalence, however unjust, between the behaviour of today's institutions and those of the ousted autocrats."

The leaders of the fascist regime have left the country in complete ruins. "They have no chance to come back as long as we remain alert and retain the moral high ground," said Dr Yunus in the statement.

"We are in the process of trying them for their crimes against humanity. The whole world is with us. Any deterioration of law and order will give a wrong message to the world," he added.

The chief adviser called on all citizens to materialise our dream of building a country where all Bangladeshis can live in security and dignity act with self-discipline and channel their energy into productive, peaceful efforts to support positive changes, reads the statement.

Yesterday, the chief adviser issued a statement in the afternoon terming the vandalism on the Dhanmondi 32 residence of Sheikh Mujib unintended and unwanted.

The Interim government, however, said Sheikh Hasina's provocative statement against the July Uprising while in India had created deep anger in public mind, which was expressed.

"There was no attack or vandalism of any kind at this house in the last six months. This [vandalism] happened last night centring the speech of the fugitive Sheikh Hasina…," a statement issued by the interim government said. 

Later at night, in another statement, the interim government expressed concern over the ongoing vandalism and arson across the country.

The government said it will strongly resist such attempts.

"The interim government is committed to ensuring the safety of citizens and their property," said the statement posted on Chief Adviser GOB's Facebook page.