AN accused of a murder case was killed in front of a judge at a Cumilla court on Monday. The incident took place when an accused youth stabbed another one at the Cumilla District Sessions Judge’s court during the hearing of the case. The killing in the court emits a very negative message that nobody is safe even in the court. The incident stunned the Magistrate but it shows the negligence of the law enforcement agency members in performing their duty.
Earlier we had witnessed attacked in courts during the BNP-Jamaat regime in November 2005, when extremists carried out the bombing in Gazipur and Chattogram courts that killed 14 people and injured over 100. In December same year, police detained 97 people in connection with the bombings and the trail is still underway. However, those were terrorist attacks.
The killing in front of Magistrate inside the courtroom in Cumilla may be the sequel of the murder. Whatever it may be; we are surprised how such a fatal attack could be carried out by a person in presence of several policemen. As per news media, Faruk and Hasan are cousins and both are accused in a murder case. At one stage of the hearing, Hasan started chasing Faruk with a knife in the courtroom and stabbed him in front of Judge Fatema Ferdous as the victim tried to hide under a table inside the judge’s chamber. How an accused can enter the courtroom with a knife? What was police doing? How such a security breach can take place while there are archway, metal detector and other security measures to spot the weapons? Generally, the accused persons are taken to the court either with hand cuffed or tightly holding by the policemen. So, it is not possible for an attacker to attack anyone or manage any weapon without the knowledge of policemen.
As courts are supposed to be most secured places, so there must be an intensive investigation. Otherwise, much more dangerous acts could be taken place taking the advantage of relaxed mood of the law enforcers.
