Editorial
One more shocking murder
When will we realise that impunity feeds criminality?
We are shocked by the murder in broad daylight of a local Awami League leader in the city on Friday. The death is all the more disturbing because the incident took place as Fazlul Huq, general secretary of the ward 41 unit of the ruling party, was on his way to offer Juma prayers in a mosque. We condemn the killing and offer our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. At the same time, we cannot but point out that the incident is a potent sign of how law and order has been taking a slide in these past few weeks. The manner in which individuals have been attacked and killed are all a pointer to the blatant nature in which crime has been committed in recent times.
We appreciate the fact that Minister for Home Sahara Khatun has taken swift action over the murder on Friday. Two policemen have been suspended while two others have been transferred. Such action is without question decisive. Even so, it remains worrying that while the government has acted with speed in the matter of the murder of one of its own, it has done precious little regarding similar incidents involving workers of other political parties as well as simple citizens. So far, to our regret, the authorities have demonstrated a lackadaisical attitude to crime especially when it does not affect ruling party loyalists. Indeed, many have been the occasions when government functionaries have claimed that law and order is improving and in fact is better than at any time earlier. Such absurd claims were made despite the fact that crimes like murder and kidnapping were happening every day in the capital. To our consternation, the kind of swift action that has now been taken on the Fazlul Huq murder has sadly been missing in the case of others. It is our belief, which we think is shared by many in the country, that the relative indifference with which crimes have so far been approached has given criminals a degree of impunity the consequences of which we are now beginning to see in different dimensions.
We expect action on the crime front in a manner that demonstrates the seriousness of the government regarding the maintenance of law and order. The recent murders in the capital only expose the hollowness of the claims by ministers and police officials to the effect that the police have successfully been handling crime. The reality is out there for everyone to see. The home minister, being responsible for the security of life and property of all citizens, must convince people that her responsibility is not just to her party but, on a bigger basis, to Bangladesh's people irrespective of their political affiliations or loyalties. She must firmly lead her ministry in curbing crime whenever and wherever it occurs. Any and all irresponsible utterances by ministers and others must be curbed, something that the cabinet itself must ensure through its periodic deliberations.
Finally, we note that unless crime is dealt with firmly and without any hint of selectivity being there, more families will lose their own and so find themselves in crises of a varied sort. Too many widows make the front pages of newspapers these days. How many more such unfortunate women must we see before we can claim that life is secure and worthwhile for us?
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