Home adviser lauds journos for coverage of Gopalganj violence

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today praised journalists who risked their lives to livestream the recent violence in Gopalganj, terming their work "an example of remarkable courage".

"I sincerely thank those who went live and covered the entire incident while risking their lives. Those who saw it live likely have no further questions. It's often those who weren't there who raise various speculations," he told reporters after visiting the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

He added, "Live reporting helps reveal the actual situation. Otherwise, people make assumptions from air-conditioned rooms. Our journalists have shown remarkable courage -- that was proven in Gopalganj."

On the killings, Jahangir Alam said they were deeply concerning. Responding to a question on post-mortems, he said, "Where required, post-mortems are being conducted. In some cases, the dead bodies were taken away by the families themselves. If necessary, the bodies can be exhumed again for post-mortem."

Regarding allegations of intelligence failure, he said, "A high-powered committee has already been formed to look into the incident. That committee will determine who is responsible… When the report comes out, you'll see what recommendations are made and actions will be taken accordingly."

About his visit to the third terminal, the adviser also said it focused on assessing immigration readiness. "I came here to determine how many immigration officers will be required when this terminal is launched and to review the existing provisions for them. I also wanted to see whether passengers -- especially migrant workers going abroad or returning -- face any problems at immigration," he said.

"The third terminal looks very well-built. Once it begins operations, the current hassles at the airport will likely be resolved. It will benefit both outbound and inbound travellers," he added.

He clarified that the inauguration date is under the Civil Aviation Ministry, not the home ministry. "According to what I've seen, 99.88% of the work is complete," he said, but declined to comment on a possible launch date.

Currently, the immigration unit has about 400 personnel available, he said, adding, "We're getting ready so that we can deploy immigration officers on time and use them properly when operations begin."