DEATHS of anti-Islam bloggers in the recent past have raised concerns as well as controversy in Bangladesh. Criticising Islam does not make anybody an intellectual or a free-thinker. The publisher Shahzahan Bachchu who was shot dead by armed assailants in motorbikes at Munshiganj was also the 55-year old former general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB’s Munshiganj district unit.
Reportedly, the murdered publisher had family difficulties and it is said that he wrote some pieces on religion. According to the victim’s daughter, when bloggers were being killed one after another in the country, her father also received threats on his mobile phones on a number of occasions. That was quite sometime ago.
However, it is not known whether he had informed the police about the threats or not. If he did, the police should have taken up the matter and asked him to be careful. Those who attack religious sentiments to be a free thinker the police cannot help them by providing daily police protection. They take the risk and they should be ready to face the consequence bravely.
We are concerned about the law and order situation and killing so openly.
On one hand, extra-judicial killings are continuing under the banner of combating drugs, while on the other hand a publisher could be killed very easily like a private extra-judicial killing. We want to see efficiency of the police in saving lives whether one is to be called free thinker or not.
Attacking and killing people terming them drug dealers is much easier for trained police but this is not a sign of good law and order when private individuals can kill anybody and feel safe. We are not sure whether the real killers will be found and their crime proved in court. We are living in a country where lies and deception are easy.
