KIDNAPPING and murder of teenage boys and girls are on alarming rise in and around the city and all over the country showing that close relatives and locals of the victims are mainly involved and ransom taking is the main motive behind it. The recovery of the body of a fifth grade student in Keranigonj on Tuesday after four days of his missing from the house of one of his maternal uncles, located only 50 feet away from victim’s house, made the locals speechless. The boy’s father, an expatriate rushed home from Kuwait and arranged payment of taka two lakhs to save his son’s life but it did not work.
We have published editorials several times in our daily alone in recent months calling for quick punishment of the kidnappers to put a cap on growing killings but as things appeared the law enforcing agencies are not taking extra measures and reaching out to the nation how to reduce the menace. Kidnapping youngsters is a soft target to realize ransom and the danger is only growing making families increasingly vulnerable to cruelties and killing of their children being picked up even from family courtyard. It appears that the government is not much bothered to nationally highlight the issue least it exposes its failure of governance where unruly partymen are even involved in many such cases. But we believe it must be taken as a big challenge to our national safety and social mobilization by media, human rights organization and such other public forums must be at work to raise voice against the growing threat.
Media reports galore on kidnappings and killing nationwide, only the government and its police don’t see it with due importance. Bodies of three children were recovered from Tangail and Rangpur only few days back. They were abducted for ransom. On January 29 body of a four-year boy was recovered from a paddy field in Mithapukur Upazila of Rangpur district after two months of missing. The body of another 14-year girl was recovered from the bush in a Jessore village and both were victims of ransom. Body of another teenage was recovered from a Kushtia village early this week and the killer wanted money.
Narayangonj, in the outskirt of the capital now top on the killers’ list and as per a news report 14 children were killed in last 12 months in and around this industrial town. Nationwide the figure stood at 234 in last two years and 29 in January this year. In fact, such crimes are going on unabated in absence of credible steps and easy bail of the criminals. It is sad that our society has failed to put the message that criminals can’t go unpunished.
