Editorial
Gunfight over tender
Rein them in, now
MONDAY'S bloody encounter over dropping a tender at central railway building (CRB) in Chittagong resulting in two deaths has again demonstrated how greed and business mentality have overtaken the morale of AL's youth and student fronts. It also exposes once again the ruling party's failure to keep these elements on a tight leash.
This is very unfortunate. BCL and Jubo League had gained a tainted image for their misdeeds from time to time. One would have thought at the fag end of the AL's tenure, they would refrain from such unabashed display of rivalry.
The PM has on umpteen occasions stated in no uncertain terms that those who commit crime have no political identity and that they should be treated as criminals. Clearly, what those youth and student activists of AL were involved in at the CRB was criminality, pure and simple. And they deserve to be punished.
The police by promptly arresting the suspects have done a good job. But that by itself is not enough. They should be made to face the force of law. It is the absence of deterrent punishment that has induced a sense of impunity.
The BCL central command has reportedly expelled its student leader arrested over Monday's gunfight. However, such expulsion in BCL is also nothing new after incidents of violence. And when the dust settled, things have again gone back to square one.
The government can ill-afford to allow further erosion of its credibility. It must act to restore public confidence in governance.
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