Rights activists at a dialogue have said that the government is using law enforcement agencies to frighten people and curb their rights, and also expressed concern over the disappearances of people in which law enforcers were allegedly involved. They also came down heavily on the government for ‘restricting’ people’s freedom of thought and expression.
Actually, the people always prefer and expect a democratic government, which should come into power by holding a credible election with the votes of a majority of voters, not in any other way. Social, political and economic sectors are being destroyed without bothering the interest of the country and its people.
Media reports said, criticism of any special step taken arbitrarily by the government is labelled as anti-state. Whenever people become vocal against repressions and discrimination by the government, they are labelled as conspirators and anti-state elements. It also cited the case of 12 students produced before courts six days after law enforcers had allegedly picked them up.
Accusing the law enforcement agencies of carrying out extra-judicial killings, the rights activists said the situation has become so horrendous that finding a loved one alive in police custody brings relief to the family concerned. Though one of the fundamentals of a vibrant democracy is the people’s right to express their dissatisfaction to the workings of the government, it (government) has not been very receptive to the idea of people voicing against its rule. It is rather ironic that the party that came to power facing various challenging hurdles is now trying to find ways to curb the people’s right to expression.
Extra-judicial killing of people, particularly political opponents, in the name of crossfire is absolutely unethical because every person has the right to get proper judgment. But the government tries to justify the killings by using the term ‘crossfire,’ which it refers to as gunfights between suspected criminal gangs and the RAB or police.
A recent study by the Germany’s Bertelsmann Foundation has found that Bangladesh is currently an autocracy. Though the ruling party rejected the findings, experts say one-party rule and political instability are major issues. The foundation in its “Transformation Index 2018 (BTI)” has rated Bangladesh, Lebanon, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Uganda as “new” autocracies.
This is not praiseworthy for the police to allow them to be used for oppression of their own people. The government is coming to be known as autocracy mainly for abuse of police power.
