First find those wearing helmets

Editorial
Prothom Alo illustration

The police have filed cases against 26 persons and hundreds of unidentified people over the clashes that took place in Dhaka’s New Market area on Tuesday. When a crime is committed, it is the duty of the law enforcement agencies to identify the criminals and bring them to book. The question has arisen as to how far they have carried out their in relation to the recent clashes.

The clashes took place between traders of New Market and students of Dhaka College over a trifling matter. Had the law enforcement agencies acted quickly, two youth would not have lost their lives. One of them worked at a courier service and another was a low-income worker at a shop. All those who have been named by police in these cases are former and existing leaders and activists of local units of BNP and its associated organisations.

It is very unfortunate that law enforcement agencies have failed to perform their duty. Both groups engaged in the clashes wielding sharp weapons while the police the played role of a silent spectator. A picture published in the front page of The Daily Star on 22 April showed a person wearing a helmet striking Nahid, who is was lying on ground, with a large cleaver while six more people were standing behind him.

The police did not try to find these persons. Instead, they registered a spree of cases against leaders and activists of BNP. The police resorted to the invariable conspiracy theory of the ruling party. It was the duty of police to find the person wearing the helmet at first. BNP leader Makbul Hossain owns shops in New Market and if that becomes the reason to lodge case against him, then case must also be filed against the Awami League leaders owing shops there. Names of the leaders from the dissolved committee of BCL’s Dhaka College unit joining clashes on traders’ behalf have been published in Prothom Alo. Many pictures went viral but no case was not filed against them and that is a mystery.

If police file fictitious cases against leaders and activists of BNP and its associated organisations with political motives, then justice will not be served in these acts of violence. If anyone of BNP actually hatched any conspiracy as accused by Awami League leaders, the government can of course take legal action against them. But if fictitious cases are filed to serve political motives, real criminals will remain out of touch. The government policymakers often say no matter who the criminals are, they will be brought to book. In reality, however, they actively hide the real criminals and file case to harass opposition leaders and activists.

The situation returned to normal after negotiations between traders and students. But this negotiation should not be temporary. It must be probed why clashes take places between students and traders and the source of this will have to be found. We want those who carried out violence on that day to be brought to book. The criminals must be punished. For that, it is necessary to identify the people wearing helmets.