No lethal weapons used in Gopalganj: Army headquarters

No lethal weapons were used during the recent clashes in Gopalganj, said Colonel Md Shafiqul Islam of the Military Operations Directorate.

Speaking at a briefing held at the Officers' Mess in Dhaka Cantonment on Thursday afternoon, he told reporters, "Not only bricks and stones were hurled in Gopalganj, but cocktails were also thrown. When there was a threat to life, our law enforcement agencies were compelled to use force.”

When asked about the army’s position regarding the Home Adviser’s clear statement that ‘the army was forced to open fire in Gopalganj,’ Colonel Shafiqul said a probe committee has been formed to uncover the truth about what actually happened in Gopalganj.

“We hope the investigation will reveal the true and accurate account of the incident”, he said.

When asked about reports that the army initially provided protection to the NCP during the violent clashes in Gopalganj but is now allegedly withdrawing that support, he said the army has never extended special support to any political party.

“Everyone is equal in the eyes of the army when it comes to carrying out its duties.”

In Gopalganj, there was a threat to the lives of members of that political party (NCP), and the army acted to save lives, Colonel Shafiqul said, adding that, “The sole objective was to protect lives, not to support any particular group.”

In response to another question, he said a total of 5,576 individuals involved in drug trafficking and extortion have been arrested so far.

“If the law enforcement agencies responsible for tackling extortion and other crimes perform their duties effectively, we believe the situation will improve further. We are continuously fulfilling our operational responsibilities,” he stated.