The government believes that the chaos and vandalism in different parts of the capital that happened in the last two days may be part of a bigger plan.

Two advisers of the interim government spoke at a briefing of the chief adviser's press wing at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday.

"It is not a coincidence that so many incidents happened in just one day," said Nahid Islam, information adviser.

"Many do not want to see the government function successfully," he said.

Attacks, vandalism and battery will not be tolerated, he said.  

Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said law enforcers did not show heavy-handedness in preventing clashes between students in Old Dhaka and Jatrabari to avoid a direct confrontation with the pupils.

"We admit that police may have shown weaknesses in acting against the students," he said.

"You know that the police are in the middle of the process of reforms. As so many students were engaged in clashes, the police wanted to prevent them without a direct confrontation."

Asif Mahmud said if police attacked the students, it could create an untoward incident. Now, however, the situation is under control.

Those who attacked the colleges will be brought to book, he added.

Asif also said the government is probing the weaknesses in the police force and will take necessary actions, including transfers.

The government is also in the process of recruiting about 1,400 sub-inspectors and 4,500 constables, he added.

In the past, he said, police would generally use rubber or live bullets in handling riots. They are now moving away from that approach. They will be trained in a new approach as per the international standard.

The chief adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the interim government, following public expectation, has moved away from the protocol followed by the police in handling riots.

"None wants the police to even baton-charge demonstrators," he said.

Nahid called upon the people to bring forward their demands through proper channels instead of taking to the streets and creating public suffering.

In the aftermath of the July-August mass uprising, people have got new freedom and are making demands to claim their rights, but they need to do it constructively, he said.

He said the government is also probing if there is any conspiracy both at home and abroad to destabilise the interim government.

"We can tell you that only after the investigation. It is natural that the previous fascist government would conspire to make the interim government non-functional," Nahid said.