State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today reiterated that the government wants to resolve the crisis peacefully through talks, but simultaneously it will resists terrorists if they want to carry out anarchic acts.
"We want to resolve the crisis peacefully through talks . . . but, simultaneously, we want to say if the terrorists carry out violence, the law will be enforced," he told reporters after emerging from the meeting of National Committee on Security Affairs (NCSA) at Ganabhaban in the city.
Noting that the government will resist the genuine terrorists, not general innocent protesters, he said the student movement has lost its right direction, now it has turned into terrorism and violence.
"Our stance was in favour of peace, talks and holding trials of the casualties caused in the recent violence." Arafat said, adding many people were shocked at the deaths several children.
Pointing that the 17 crore people of the country are mourning for deaths of children, he said, "We have to investigate these incident to take legal action against the genuine culprits".
Since these children were not demonstrating on the streets to topple the government, the state minister questioned, "What kind of harm would these children cause to the government? And how did the government get benefited through these killings?"
He urged the people to think about these questions and said miscreants took the advantage of these deaths and standing on bodies of the children, they instigated the people and mislead them to a wrong path. "They are now trying to gain their evil objectives," Arafat added.
Stating the government is firmly committed to hold the trials of the casualties, he said, "The judicial commission has already started activities and today went to Rangpur to investigate the incidents."
The judicial commission has invited the foreign experts to help in the investigation process to ensure cent percent transparency of the probe, the state minister said, adding only genuine perpetrators will be brought to justice.
"We will know the facts after the investigation whether the deaths were caused by anyone inside the movement or police firing," he said, adding, the death list also included those people who were burnt down by the fire set by demonstrators.
Noting it was not possible to identify the identities of the people burnt, Arafat questioned, "Will the government take responsibility of these deaths?" —BSS
