Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday warned that any form of mob violence would be dealt with firmly.

Referring to a recent incident of vandalism at a petrol pump, he said such acts of mob formation and violence would not be tolerated.

“We will not allow mob situations to develop. Any such attempts will be dealt with strictly,” he said while addressing a programme following the inauguration of the re-excavation of the Neha River in Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon under a nationwide initiative to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and other waterbodies.

Calling for transparency and proper implementation of the canal excavation programme, Fakhrul said around 20,000 canals would be brought under excavation across the country.

“We are here to work. We do not believe in securing public support through promises alone; rather, we believe in earning it through hard work and service,” he said.

Recalling that former president Ziaur Rahman had launched canal excavation efforts in 1976, Fakhrul said sustained initiatives could have helped prevent many of the country’s current water-related challenges.

He urged the local administration to ensure that the project continues smoothly and does not stall after inauguration, noting that similar initiatives in the past often failed due to poor execution.

Fakhrul said recent global tensions including the Iran-US conflict have had an impact on Bangladesh particularly in terms of fuel supply.

He also said the distribution of family cards to women would strengthen their role and empowerment at the household level.

Plans are underway to introduce farmer cards to ensure better support for farmers, he added.