Residents of Dhaka complain of deteriorated security situation elsewhere in the city amid rising incidents of target killing, abduction, robbery, extortion, snatching and hijacking, blaming the authorities of turning blind eye to check the situation.
They said that people have been experiencing lawlessness and insecurity following the two very recent incidents of murder in the capital.
Terming these as ‘stray incidents’, State Minister for Home and concerned officials of city police, however, refuted residents’ complain saying that security has witnessed considerable improvement in the capital as compared to the past.
Monir Hossain, a resident of city’s Mirpur area, told The New Nation yesterday, “We are feeling insecure in the city due to the recent rise in killing and all kinds of criminal activities. “These are clear indications of deteriorating law and order situation,” he said, adding, “The situation goes to such a level even one is no longer safe in his own house.”
He said, when a lawlessness and insecurity prevail in the minds of the people, the law enforcing agencies are yet to come up any preventive measure to restore confidence of the people. “Police have miserably failed to ensure security of the city dwellers,” said Monir, adding, “The current state of law and order has helped undermine public trust in the law enforcing agencies,” he added.
Samia Sultana, a resident of Dhanmondi, said, “Insecurity is growing dramatically in the city but no effective steps is visible from the side of authorities to control the situation.”
The capital now turns a ‘city of fear’, she said, adding, the growing crime in the city has made tremendous problems in our movement in the city roads. “We have learnt that the city police were conducting a special drive to nab criminals. How criminal activities keep on rising when such drive is on,” she questioned. Being taxpayers of the country we expect security from the law enforcing agencies and they must ensure it by improving the situation immediately.
A bkash agent in city’s Tikatuli area, preferring anonymity said, I had to put shutter of my shop down soon after the sun sets in as there was a sense of insecurity prevailing in the city.
Referring the recent rise in attacks by arms gangs on bkash agent in the city, he said, “Every day I come out of my business place wondering whether I would be able to return home safely. It seems unsafe everywhere as our peace has been robbed.”
Expressing concern over deterioration of the city’s law and order, Major General (Retd.) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, a security expert said, “Firstly I consider the fact that the city of 15 million people needs at least three times more strong police force with allied intelligent facilities, which we do not have.
Added to this is the political overuse of the police force by the government. As a result, whatever the police resource we may have, neither their full attention nor their full recourses are deployed to the security of citizens.
“There is tremendous confidence gap in the minds of the people. High profile murders and target killings have created a feeling of panic. This must be overcome with honest approach and non-political mindset,” he added.
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on Saturday that the incidents of the killing of Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi and Moghbazar’s triple murder were “nothing serious.”
“These were (the murders) stray incidents. Those were not as serious as the reporters are asking about it,” Kamal said while chairing a roundtable at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity auditorium.
The minister also asked citizens not to be worried about it.
“Investigation is on, we are working on the motives of the murders,” the minister added.
He also said Faruqi was murdered by hired killers and a suspect was held on Saturday.
“On the other hand, the triple murder in Moghbazar took place following a dispute over grabbing land. The murderers have been identified, they will be arrested anytime,” he said.
“There is nothing to worry about it. It may happen once in a while,” the minister added.
