Militants snatched from prison van: Who is responsible for security lapse?

The manner in which two militants were snatched away from the Dhaka court premises after an open attack on the law enforcesment, raises questions. The two escaped militants are members of the banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam (formerly Ansarullah Bangla Team). They were convicted for the murder of Faisal Arefin Dipan, the owner of Jagriti Prakashani, and writer and blogger Avijit Roy.

According to witnesses, police and court sources, Prothom Alo reports that two handcuffed militants assaulted a member of the police who was in charge of security, taking eight militants from Dhaka's Anti-Terrorism Tribunal to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.

Their associates joined them. When other police members came forward, they were also attacked. After spraying some substance at the policemen, the two militants and their accomplices escaped through the lane opposite of the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court.

This escape of death row convicts has brought to light the serious lapses in the judiciary and the overall security system. As many as 650 accused are produced in the courts of Dhaka city and Dhaka district every day. The accused were produced in the courts from four separate jails. Around 200 policemen are engaged in this task. The concerned persons say that the number of policemen is not adequate. The militants have used this security weakness to their advantage

This is not the first time that a militant has been snatched. In 2014, three JMB members were snatched by attacking on a prison van in Trishal, Mymensingh. Provided the previous experience, we beg to question why special security measures have not been taken while transferring organised criminals like militants and those who are motivated by religious ideology. Who will take responsibility for this negligence?

Law enforcement officials said the militants escaped after breaking the handcuffs. It is natural to question how they got the handcuff keys. The CCTV footage of the escape of the militants has been circulated in various media. It is seen that they are escaping on two motorcycles.

People are sceptic about how they could escape through a crowded area like Old Dhaka. Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque, father of Faisal Arefin, said that it is a very unusual phenomenon that convicts sentenced to death have been snatched.

A red alert has been issued across the country to detain the fleeing militants. Prizes are also announced. Court security has also been tightened. A committee has also been formed to investigate the incident.

According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, 18 accomplices snatched the two militants from the court premises at the orchestration of major (dismissed) Syed Ziaul Haque, the head of the militant organisation Ansar Al Islam. Five people, including a police inspector in charge of court security, have been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty. It is practically pointless to take such measures after the incident with lax security system.

Law and order forces have a commendable role in countering militancy. Over the past few years, law enforcement agencies have repeatedly assured that the militants are not capable of carrying out anything major.

But there are many questions in the public mind about the rise of terrorists at different times and various aspects of anti-terrorist operations. It is very common to ask how it is possible to snatch a terrorist from a sensitive area like the court premises right under everyone's nose.

It is important to arrest the fugitive militants and find out why this incident happened through proper investigation.