CHATTOGRAM, Oct 28, 2023 (BSS) – Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said any attempt is made to create chaos in the country in the name of movement will be dealt with iron hands with the support of the people.

“You should hold peaceful rallies, administration will help you. But if attempt is made to create chaos, it will be tackled with strong hands with public support. Terrorists will be eliminated,” he said.

Dr Hasan, also ruling Awami League (AL) joint general secretary, said this while addressing a grand rally at KEPZ ground in Anwara here on the occasion of the inauguration of country's first ever underwater tunnel named "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the rally as the chief guest while other senior leaders of Awami League were present there.

The information minister said the progress of democracy in the country will not be allowed to be thwarted and hampered, rather the ongoing conspiracy to obstruct the democracy will be foiled.

Referring to BNP’s rally at Nayapaltan in the capital city Dhaka, he said, BNP has been given permission to hold a rally in Dhaka today.

“It would be a mistake if they take it as a weakness,” he said.

Noting that BNP did not allow AL to hold rallies when the party (AL) was in the opposition, Hasan said, “We were beaten with sticks, senior politicians like Matia Chowdhury were assaulted”.

“Now they give programmes within every few days,” he said, adding, “after the programmes of street procession, sitting and running, they may announce ‘crawling programme’ in the days to come.

"But it must be remembered that Awami League is not just a political party, it is the name of a spark, and our leader is Sheikh Hasina, who is bearing blood of Bangabandhu in her veins that does not know to compromise and accept defeat," Hasan said.
 
So gathering 30000, 40000 or 50,000 people in Nayapaltan will bring result as at least 10,000 to 20,000 people gather at Gulistan intersection even if mad people dance there, he added.

Speaking about Bangabandhu tunnel, the AL joint general secretary said it is the ever first road tunnel under a river in South Asia.
 
Although there are many tunnels under mountains and railway tunnels under rivers, but there is no road tunnel under rivers elsewhere in South Asia, he added.

Pointing that in the last 15 years, the Prime Minister has allocated Taka 1 lakh thousand crore for the development of Chattogram, Hasan said as a result, like Dhaka, Chattogram is no longer identified from the sky, it looks like Bangkok-Singapore.

About 3.2 km-long underwater tunnel has been built at a cost of Taka 10,689 crore under the Karnaphuli River with assistance of China.

The Tunnel connected the city's South Patenga with Anwara upazila.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly laid the foundation stones of the tunnel on October 14, 2016.

On February 24 in 2019, Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated the tunnel boring phase.