PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY VERSUS LAW AND ORDER

by F R Chowdhury

Just a few days back the prime minister addressed the nation and talked a lot about progress and prosperity. Yes, there has been some development but it could have been more. The prime minister did not talk about the more that we failed to achieve. It is because the prime minister is mostly surrounded by her party supporters and she hardly ever gets a chance to hear the other side of the story. We shall discuss some of it here though the prime minister may not even get a chance to know about it.

Law and order is the first and foremost requirement for economic progress. You cannot convince anyone to invest in an environment of insecurity. Why are we suddenly so worried about law and order? It is because the security forces who are supposed to be custodian of law and order have embarked up on unlawful activities. Worst still, their bosses are trying to support them. The nation is worried as to who will provide the peace and security so vital for everyone’s living.

Saturday 09-January-2016 at about 23:00 hrs Mr Gulam Rabbani, a bank employee, went out of his house to the nearest ATM to draw some cash from his account. He could not return safe back to his house. Instead he landed in the ICU of a hospital by courtesy of our police force. As he was returning home with the money he was picked up by the Mohammedpur Police and beaten up. Police threatened him with arrest (perhaps on false charge of drugs or fire-arms) unless he arranges big amount of money for them.

Friday 15-January-2016 at about 0500 Mr. Bikas Chandra Das, an employee of the Municipal Corporation, was travelling on his motorbike to his workplace. The mayor wants all rubbish to be picked up before city life starts and that is why Bikas was on way to supervise the cleaning operation. It was near Jatrabari he was stopped by some armed men. He thought he was a victim in the hands of the robbers. He was wrong. The robbers were actually the police in plain clothes. They beat him until he was unconscious. By then the sweepers (municipal employees) arrived and identified their supervisor. The police quickly left the place. They were chased in vain by the sweepers. Mr. Das is also in ICU of a hospital.

The nation was shocked by the statement of the higher authorities. The IGP first said that the force would not take the blame for action of an individual. Then he said that it was a crime on the part of Mr. Rabbani not to allow the police to search him. The nation is ashamed of having such an IGP. He should be ashamed of his man. He should have taken bold action to ensure that such disgraceful person could not tarnish the image of the force that he heads. Instead he found fault with Mr. Rabbani. Let us say the IGP was right that Mr. Rabbani resisted body search. Can he tell the nation which law allows beating up a man on the street? They are thugs and criminals. They are not police and he is not an IGP.

In the other case police tried to justify their action by saying that they took Mr. Das as a criminal or hijacker because he was on a motorbike so early in the morning. According to them it was a case of mistaken identity. We feel Mr. Das had every reason to think of them being a gang of dacoits/ robbers/ criminals because they had arms in hand without being in uniform. Here again, even if Bikash was a suspected hijacker, does it give any right to police to beat him in that manner? What is the difference between people in civil dress having weapons and criminals? No difference, they are all criminals. Why should police be allowed to rob people in civil dress?

Now we come to the third case. Wednesday 20-January-2016 at about 13:30 a bus belonging to Shikor Paribahan stops near Purana Paltan. One Mr. Ayub tries to amicably settle a dispute between a passenger and the conductor when police constable Mahbub starts showering blows on Mr. Ayub resulting him to bleed through his nose. This time the people around him made no mistake. They kept the constable under their custody for quite some time. This clearly shows that public tolerance hit its limit. It is a dangerous thing. It is dreadful to think of a situation if people everywhere start taking law in their own hands.

The newly appointed British High Commissioner was shocked and surprised to know of these incidents. We live in Britain where police are the best friends of people. We call up on police for our problems and difficulties. They give us the protection and peace of mind. The High Commissioner is certainly not used to seeing such things. She opened her mouth. She talked in terms of human rights. She said UK might reconsider future assistance and cooperation with security forces in Bangladesh unless the attitude of the security forces change. Her remarks are a serious humiliating blow to our nation. Can we identify ourselves with other civilized nations of the world?

The police are soon going to observe the police week. It will probably be opened by the prime minister or the home minister. What message the minister will have for the police who think “macher raza Elish, desher raza pulish”.

London, 20-January-2016                                                <[email protected]>