Saidur Rahman Shahid, a former Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Ward Commissioner was arrested from his Gandaria residence in the city by elite force RAB with four fire arms and 62 ammunition on Tuesday. Of the four weapons found in his possession three are illegal while the other one is licensed, RAB told the media. Police source say Shahid was in jail for some years in connection with some cases containing serious allegations including the murder of advocate Habibur Rahman Mandal. Recently he was released on bail. He contested the just held one-sided elections as an independent candidate against Kazi Firoz Rashid of JP but he was defeated. This is also strange how the Election Commission found him eligible to be candidate for a seat in parliament. Then there are many MPs who are said to have criminal records. No wonder crimes are on the rise but police are busy. He became known for his notoriety including land grabbing and murders, media reports said. Saidur Rahman is surely not the only one who because of political connection got licence for owning weapon. It is also well known to police such persons also own illegal weapons. They use illegal weapons for committing crimes for the party or for personal gains. If caught, as defence they produce the legal weapons as proof of their innocence. It is also alleged that in many cases knowing that they have illegal weapons yet such politically connected criminals are allowed to go free. There are others who claim that those special criminals maintain special relationship with the police.Meanwhile, in a separate incident Nazim Uddin alias Bullet was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) police from Sundarban Courier Service office at Dilkhusa Super Market, Savar on Tuesday when he was allegedly receiving delivery of a pistol with some ammunition. The pistol was sent from Jessore by Courier Service. This is an example, not so isolated, how weapons are easily procured and transferred. When they are found out, they have no difficulty in claiming that they are political workers.The incident of use of illegal weapons has been on sharp increase in the country in recent years against political opponents while indulging in crimes as a source of income. What is most unfortunate is that the student and youth wings of some political parties are in crimes as their livelihood. Not surprisingly, none of the armed BCL boys responsible for the sensational attacks on agitating students of Rajshahi University (RU) on Sunday , has been made accused in any of the four cases filed by the administration or the police in this connection. The students of Progressive Student Jote and Shibir have been made accused in the cases. The university authority filed two cases while the police filed two with Motihar thana in this connection. The media reports however, do not substantiate the claim either of the RU administration or that of the police as all the six persons who were seen using fire arms, are leaders and activists of pro-government Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). They have been identified as Anwarul Islam alias Shuvra, deputy publicity secretary of university unit of BCL, Nasim Ahmed, joint secretary, RU unit, BCL, Organizing Secretary Shamsuzzaman, Faisal Ahmed, Mustakim Billah, environmental affairs secretary and joint secretary of the past committee Sudipta Salam. Of them Nasim Ahmed and Shamsuzzaman have been expelled from BCL. It is being asked in different circles how the police and the University authority could drop the names of BCL boys in the cases who were seen in pictures actively confronting others with firearms. Chhatra Federation president Golam Mostafa, General Secretary Abdullah Al Muiz, Organizing Secretary Faruk Hossain, Chhatra Moitree president Sumon Augustin, General Secretary Iqbal Karim, Chhatra Union General Secretary Abu Sufian and some Shibir leaders including its president Ashraful Alam and Human Resource Development Secretary Hasibul Islam have been made accused in the cases. It is common and known to all that almost all the political parties give weapons to the members of their youth wing to use those for acts of political violence. So it is hypocritical to blame any particular party for political terrorism. All parties are using terrorism and maintain armed cadres. The problem is police are incapable of showing professional courage and independence to go against the political armed cadre persons involved in big and daring crimes. We can only hope the police will show necessary professional integrity and courage to expose those dangerous elements to make society reasonably safe. It is also heard being police that they are only being used more for punishing political opponents implicating them in false criminal cases. As a result the police find little incentive in dealing with criminals connected with the party in power.
