NEWS reports in an English daily said more than 2,000 people were arrested on an average everyday as the police continued their ‘special drive’ across the country after the killings of two foreign nationals in Dhaka and Rangpur. Police headquarters officials have been quoted in the report as saying 2,503 people were arrested in 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday morning at 630 police stations in the country. The opposition BNP and Jamaat in separate statements have alleged the government is arresting their leaders and activists to destroy their parties in the grassroots. But the reports quoted an Assistant Inspector General of Police as saying it is just part of a special drive to beef up safety of all foreign nationals staying in the country. He said arrests in the past week were at 2,000 and 2,700 per day. Police headquarters sources have however ruled out allegation of mass arrest saying people were taken to custody based on specific allegations or in reference to previous cases and the number of daily arrest is at much lower. There is no doubt that the government would tighten the security all over the country; it is important to ensure the diplomatic community that foolproof security measures are at work to deny any more vulnerability to city dwellers – be it local or foreign nationals. By using police politically the government has worsened the law and order situation. But the self-seekers are misguiding the government in believing that a government can be successful ignoring public support or politically used police can maintain safety and security. The secret killings that are taking place everywhere should have made the government alert about how the efficiency of the law enforcing agencies has been weakened.
