Govt Not Worried About Awami League Subversive Activities: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that neither the people nor the government are worried about the ongoing programmes and activities of the Awami League. He made the remarks at an emergency press briefing on the current law and order situation at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday (September 20).

Strongly criticising recent incidents of crude bomb explosions at different locations in the capital at night and arson attacks on parked buses, the Home Minister said the activities were carried out around what he described as the so-called lockdown programme of the banned political party Awami League.

He said suspects involved in the crude bomb attacks had been arrested along with their motorcycles and were being interrogated. Those involved in the incidents at the High Court gate and Jatrabari had also already been brought under the law. Authorities are analysing CCTV footage to identify those involved in other incidents.

The minister said neither the people nor the government were worried about such activities and that the people had already rejected them.
Regarding the opposition party’s recent long marches, the minister said every political party has the right to hold constructive criticism and programmes in a democratic political culture.

He said the recent long marches in Chattogram and the northern region were completed peacefully and that law enforcement agencies provided them with full cooperation. He said all political matters would ultimately be decided through public opinion. He added that the government’s main responsibility is to maintain peace and order, end the culture of impunity and ensure the speedy trial of any crime.

Speaking about the electricity and energy crisis, the minister identified rising oil prices in the international market and past negligence in domestic gas exploration as the main reasons. He said the accumulated problems of the previous period had created a temporary crisis in the electricity and energy sectors, but the current government had focused on extracting the country’s own resources.

A plan has been taken to drill 150 new gas wells by 2030-31 to ensure a steady gas supply to the country’s industrial sector. As part of the plan, 12 million cubic feet of gas per day has already been added to the national grid from Well No. 28 of the Titas Gas Field.

He expressed hope that Bangladesh would soon become self-sufficient in gas through the use of its own natural resources and that a permanent solution to the electricity and energy crisis would be found. Responding to questions about the incident in Tejgaon, the minister said 23 people were detained based on intelligence information after they held a secret meeting at a mosque in Tejgaon following Friday prayers.

After forensic examination of their mobile phones and initial interrogation, 11 people against whom no evidence was found were released into the custody of their guardians. According to the information obtained about the remaining detainees, they were allegedly attempting to form a new extremist organisation called Ittihadul Ummah.

The minister reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards any form of extremist activity. He said cases had been filed against those involved and they had been taken on remand, while investigations were continuing in accordance with the law.