No one seeking to destabilise the country will be spared: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said, “We were elected by the people with a commitment to build a stable, tolerant and sensitive country. Whoever undermines that stability, whoever they may be, will receive no leniency in the eyes of the law. Those who seek to destabilise the country—whoever they are—will not be spared.”

The minister made the remarks this morning, Friday, at Chittagong University while responding to a question from journalists about the situation arising from the attack on two leaders of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU).

Earlier, he attended the formal inauguration of Saraswati Gyan Mandir, built as the central temple of Chittagong University, where he was chief guest.

“There are always some unruly people in society who create disorder. They do not belong to any party as such. There are always some reckless individuals in society. Bangladesh’s laws will take appropriate action against them. No one has any scope to go beyond the law,” the finance minister said.

“We are making it clear there is no room anywhere for politicisation. I said in my speech just now that no outsiders should be allowed to enter the university. Students should study here; there is no scope for politicisation on campus,” he told the media.

Special guests at the temple inauguration included State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin’; the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Bijon Kanti Sarkar, and the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar.

The event was presided over by the university’s Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Al-Forkan.

University sources said land for the temple was allocated in 2011 following demands from the Sanatan Dharma Parishad, a body comprising Hindu teachers, students and officials from different departments of the university.

Construction of the foundation on nearly 20,000 square feet of land began on 4 February 2019.

The main structure of the temple, built in an elegant architectural style, was fully funded by the Adul-Anita Foundation. Design and engineering support was provided by Astro, while interior decoration was handled by The-Ad Communication.