Aimed at capturing criminals, or 10 December?

EditorialProthom Alo illustration

The job and responsibility of the law and order enforcing agencies is to suppress crimes. In that consideration, they can conduct drives to catch criminals anytime they want.

However, if that drive precedes a prearranged rally of the opposition it raises questions. There grows doubts and suspicions in people’s minds about the purpose of the drive.

A letter signed by the additional deputy inspector general (additional DIG) of the police headquarters stated that considering the context of two militants being snatched from police custody in Old Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court area as well as to make the victory day, Christmas and thirty first night celebrations safe and smooth, it has been decided to conduct special drives across the country till 15 December, alongside the ongoing drives.

Effective drives will be carried out at all possible criminal hideouts including residential hotels, mess, hostels, different establishments and community centres along with different other spots.

News of 1,220 people being arrested across country during the first three days of the drive has been found.

Several residential hotels in Banani’s Kakoli area were ‘block raided’ from an assumption that there could be militants and drug addicts hiding there. In the end, they just failed to detain any such miscreants.  

However, on the way back from Rajshahi several people including central Jubo Dal president Sultan Salahuddin have been arrested from Aminbazar area on Saturday night.

Apart from that, police have arrested many leaders-activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations from various parts of the country including Jashore and Narayanganj, who didn’t have any prior cases filed against them and have been made accused in previously filed cases following the arrest.

Police have started this arrest drive right when the political arena is quite heated about BNP’s rally scheduled on 10 December. BNP is saying that they will hold the rally in front of their party office at Naya Paltan. DMP says, the rally has to be held at Suhrawardi Udyan.

Earlier quite a lot of tension was going around regarding BNP’s divisional rallies outside of Dhaka as well. There have been transport strikes prior to each of the rallies. Party leaders-activists have also been arrested and harassed.

While BNP is holding divisional rallies, ruling Awami League is also holding rallies and party councils at different places. However, citizens anxiously witness government’s two-faced policy in this case.

The law and order enforcement agencies as well as the public administration are providing all-out assistance in case of ruling party’s programmes.

On the contrary when it comes to BNP’s rallies, their leaders-activists are being arrested alongside their houses being searched. A delegation of BNP has met with the IGP and expressed their concerns about this as well.

Our stand about 10 December rally is crystal clear. ‘The rally cannot be held here’ or ‘It has to be held here’- these adamant stances from both the parties have made Dhaka dwellers even more anxious.

No matter where the rally is held on 10 December, arresting or harassing leaders-activists of the opposition keeping that event ahead, must be stopped.  

If the drives are indeed carried out to catch criminals, as claimed by the government, then why the opposition leaders-activists are being arrested and accused in old cases indiscriminately?

Such policies from the government ultimately do not yield good results. Hopefully the government will be able to realise that.