Sagar Biswas :
Law and order situation has been deteriorating alarmingly, with sharp rise of killing, rape, kidnapping, extortion and other organised crimes, apparently due to ‘relaxed mood’ of the Home Ministry, police and other law enforcing agencies, including Rapid Action Battalion [RAB].
At least 35 persons were killed only in Dhaka city in last 14 days of August while millions of taka has been blotted out from the accounts of businessmen for allegedly paying ransom and extortion money, sources said.
The scenario across the country was more serious where incidents of murder, rape, extortion and dacoity were rampant. But the law enforcing agencies could not deal with the matters with strong hand for not getting specific directives from the Home Ministry.
However, refuting the allegations, Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Friday said that the law and order situation in the capital and other districts is under “effective control” of the government.
“You can’t term it as deterioration of law and order. These are isolated incidents. We have already arrested the culprits involved in crimes. I can assure you that the situation is under control,” he said.
The Home Boss, however, admitted that the incidents of killing, rape, kidnapping and other crimes have been increasing. But it is not ‘alarming’, he said.
In the latest incident, three ruling party men were killed and another one received bullet injuries in a factional clash in the city’s Badda when armed hoodlums sprayed bullets on them on Thursday night over taking control of cattle market during the next Eid-ul Azha.
It’s not an end. There were dozens of incidents of intra-party clashes in last two months where several persons were injured and couple of them died. Some of the ruling party men were busy in tender snatching from RAJUK while some were locked in clash over sharing of waste collection money at Dholpur in capital. The scenario was all the same across the country.
In fact, the ruling party leaders and cadres were engaged in criminal activities in different cities and districts for the aforesaid period. Nephew of State Minister for Labour Mujibul Hoque Chunnu was arrested in connection with murdering blogger Niladri Chaterjee Niloy.
On the other hand, allegation of trafficking has been raised by Swiss embassy against Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy for transporting a man under the cover of attending 65th congress of FIFA with his guarantee.
The ruling-party MPs are also not sitting idle. Awami League MP Shafiqul Islam Shimul snatched away a handcuffed criminal from the custody of RAB a few days ago. Just two days ago, lawmaker of Cox’s Bazar Badiur Rahman Bodi physically assaulted an engineer of local Upazila Parishad.
Especially, the involvement of ruling party men in different crimes has reached at such an extent that several Superintendents of Police raised allegations against local political leaders about their influence in different sensitive cases during the Thursday’s quarterly crime conference at the Police Headquarters.
Allegations have also been raised against an MP from Rajshahi for patronising a drug racket comprising his followers. He creates pressure whenever police go in action. Another MP of Jhenidah was also accused of influencing a crime investigation. Brother-in law and some close relatives of an MP of Savar area are busy in extortion and other crimes, but police could not take action due to his [MP] pressure.
In this backdrop, Inspector General of Police [IGP] Md Shahidul Hoque said, “Stern action will be taken against all criminals whoever he is or what may be his political identity. All the accused will be brought under the purview of law.”
Meanwhile, the cases of demanding big amount extortions have also been increasing. General diaries were reportedly lodged by the businessmen with almost every police station in the capital. But police still did not take any positive step against the criminals, it is alleged.
Not only that, several industrialists and businessmen have alleged that they were finding it difficult to sit in their offices due to frequent visits by extortionists and telephone calls asking for money.
In the last month of July, as many as 17 killings have been committed only in the DMP area while robbers and dacoits took away valuables from the 19 residences. About 19 persons were kidnapped and the number of children and women repression was 129. At the same time, 83 burglaries were committed and the number of theft was 144, according to police headquarters.
Law and order situation has been deteriorating alarmingly, with sharp rise of killing, rape, kidnapping, extortion and other organised crimes, apparently due to ‘relaxed mood’ of the Home Ministry, police and other law enforcing agencies, including Rapid Action Battalion [RAB].
At least 35 persons were killed only in Dhaka city in last 14 days of August while millions of taka has been blotted out from the accounts of businessmen for allegedly paying ransom and extortion money, sources said.
The scenario across the country was more serious where incidents of murder, rape, extortion and dacoity were rampant. But the law enforcing agencies could not deal with the matters with strong hand for not getting specific directives from the Home Ministry.
However, refuting the allegations, Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Friday said that the law and order situation in the capital and other districts is under “effective control” of the government.
“You can’t term it as deterioration of law and order. These are isolated incidents. We have already arrested the culprits involved in crimes. I can assure you that the situation is under control,” he said.
The Home Boss, however, admitted that the incidents of killing, rape, kidnapping and other crimes have been increasing. But it is not ‘alarming’, he said.
In the latest incident, three ruling party men were killed and another one received bullet injuries in a factional clash in the city’s Badda when armed hoodlums sprayed bullets on them on Thursday night over taking control of cattle market during the next Eid-ul Azha.
It’s not an end. There were dozens of incidents of intra-party clashes in last two months where several persons were injured and couple of them died. Some of the ruling party men were busy in tender snatching from RAJUK while some were locked in clash over sharing of waste collection money at Dholpur in capital. The scenario was all the same across the country.
In fact, the ruling party leaders and cadres were engaged in criminal activities in different cities and districts for the aforesaid period. Nephew of State Minister for Labour Mujibul Hoque Chunnu was arrested in connection with murdering blogger Niladri Chaterjee Niloy.
On the other hand, allegation of trafficking has been raised by Swiss embassy against Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy for transporting a man under the cover of attending 65th congress of FIFA with his guarantee.
The ruling-party MPs are also not sitting idle. Awami League MP Shafiqul Islam Shimul snatched away a handcuffed criminal from the custody of RAB a few days ago. Just two days ago, lawmaker of Cox’s Bazar Badiur Rahman Bodi physically assaulted an engineer of local Upazila Parishad.
Especially, the involvement of ruling party men in different crimes has reached at such an extent that several Superintendents of Police raised allegations against local political leaders about their influence in different sensitive cases during the Thursday’s quarterly crime conference at the Police Headquarters.
Allegations have also been raised against an MP from Rajshahi for patronising a drug racket comprising his followers. He creates pressure whenever police go in action. Another MP of Jhenidah was also accused of influencing a crime investigation. Brother-in law and some close relatives of an MP of Savar area are busy in extortion and other crimes, but police could not take action due to his [MP] pressure.
In this backdrop, Inspector General of Police [IGP] Md Shahidul Hoque said, “Stern action will be taken against all criminals whoever he is or what may be his political identity. All the accused will be brought under the purview of law.”
Meanwhile, the cases of demanding big amount extortions have also been increasing. General diaries were reportedly lodged by the businessmen with almost every police station in the capital. But police still did not take any positive step against the criminals, it is alleged.
Not only that, several industrialists and businessmen have alleged that they were finding it difficult to sit in their offices due to frequent visits by extortionists and telephone calls asking for money.
In the last month of July, as many as 17 killings have been committed only in the DMP area while robbers and dacoits took away valuables from the 19 residences. About 19 persons were kidnapped and the number of children and women repression was 129. At the same time, 83 burglaries were committed and the number of theft was 144, according to police headquarters.
