Police action on BNP rally
Ill advised and repressive
We find the action of the police on the BNP rally on Wednesday near their office highhanded, ill advised, utterly uncalled for and repressive. From what is known and gleaned through media reports, until the time the police started firing the rally had been peaceful and one did not see any provocation from the BNP side to compel the police to take the action that they did. The police may open fire as a measure of last resort to either deter a violent mob or in self defence, but we did not notice any thing like that obtaining at the BNP rally to justify the police firing.
Even if we concede the police version that some Jamaat cadres had deliberately provoked the police and precipitated the situation, we wonder why the police had to direct their fire at the BNP rally, which they did in a continuous manner, when according to them the Jamat cadres were at a distance from BNP rally, quite in the opposite direction. Police use of weapons has become rather unrestrained as we see them fire indiscriminately in the air when chasing opposition activists in the lanes and by lanes, little realising the danger that the residents of the area are being exposed to.
We notice with concern the increasing constriction of political space of the BNP due to the aggressive and strident attitude of the ruling party, and in which the police has played a very dubious role. We notice too, regrettably, the manifestation of the aggressive and virulent tone of the home minister's comments in the parliament on Wednesday, in the actions of the police.
Such hostile posture towards the main opposition party is undesirable. It is quite one thing to address the Jamaat violence, which must be done at all cost to protect private and public property and life, but to replicate the same tactic on the BNP is imprudent. It is one thing to criticise the BNP for its political position on national issues, but letting loose the police on their rally is utterly abhorrent.
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