USING bullets was thought to be an easy method to deal with law and order situation in Pakistan days. It seems that our state machinery is still obsessed by power of bullets. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia warned on Thursday that police will open fire if necessary in a bid to combat mugging, burglary and extortion in the city. After a view exchange meeting on ‘law and order and traffic management’ at Gabtoli in the city, he told journalists, “Police have been asked to open fire in retaliation according to the law that gives them the right to protect themselves when they will come under attack by the criminals.”DMP boss has expressed himself when extortion in the transport sector and shopping centres has taken an alarming turn ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr. According to a report published in The New Nation on Friday, “Several businessmen have alleged that the crime syndicates are collecting millions of taka a day from posh shopping mall to footpath vendors with the help of dishonest officials of the local police stations…. Local political leaders-backed musclemen have geared up the extortion business on the eve of Eid. There is also widespread allegation that the latest initiative of the law enforcement agencies to check extortion went in vain as some influential leaders of the ruling party extended their support in favour of extortionists… The crime syndicates comprising some identified transport leaders, professional criminals and dishonest police personnel extorting millions of taka every day from different vehicles, especially bus, mini-bus, truck and three-wheeler tempo of different routes.”In the background of this situation the decision of DMP boss ‘use bullets’ will certainly make the crisis worse. Allegation is wide spread that the main cause behind the alarming increase of mugging, burglary and extortion is the involvement of power politics. As the highly placed police officer, he knows best how criminalised politics has become. The police officials should expose how politically connected young ones do crimes with a sense of impunity. Our advice will be not to rely on power of bullets creating scope of easy killing of innocent people. Besides, criminals will also find bullets to make the situation dangerous for the entire society.
