The inspector general of police, Baharul Alam, on Monday instructed police officers to arrest the individuals responsible for vandalising shops and businesses in Sylhet and several other cities across the country.
The IGP gave the instruction in the backdrop of vandalising some restaurants and shops in some areas including Sylhet, Chattogram, Cox鈥檚 Bazar and Bogura during the countrywide protests in solidarity with Gaza earlier in the day.
The attackers reportedly alleged that the restaurants had been keeping products like Coca-Cola that had links with Israel.
鈥榃e have video footage of the attackers. They are being identified and will be arrested immediately. Police teams are currently working on this,鈥� said a statement shared by the chief advisers鈥� press wing, quoting the IGP as saying.聽
The statement said that the government did not impede any lawful protests.聽
鈥楬owever, we will not tolerate any criminal acts under the guise of protest,鈥� he said.聽
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority鈥檚 executive chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said that it was unfortunate to see the country people setting such deplorable examples at a time when they were hosting a summit to showcase Bangladesh as an investment destination.聽
鈥楢 lot of these businesses were local investors, some of them were foreigners who believed in Bangladesh. They all offered employment opportunities to our youth. Those who have committed these heinous acts of vandalism are true enemies of job creation, economic growth, and stability,鈥� he said.
