Rule of law is a precondition to democracy. Has the interim government, which took over responsibility on the basis of consensus after the Awami League government was ousted through a mass uprising on 5 August last year, been able to establish the rule of law?
Wherever we look, we see the rule of force instead of the rule of law. We witness mob violence. In some places, even law enforcement appears helpless. Some among them are once again turning to extortion, as in the past.
On 28 June, a woman was reportedly raped in Muradnagar, Cumilla. Several individuals circulated a video of the incident on social media. How depraved must a person be to do such a thing? On the same day, in Tajumuddin, Bhola, another woman was gang-raped while trying to rescue her husband, who had been held hostage by criminals. While the Cumilla incident had no political connection, there are allegations that activists from the Sramik Dal and Jubo Dal were involved in the Bhola incident. Md Farid Uddin, joint general secretary of the upazila Sramik Dal, has been expelled in this connection.
Before the shock of the rape in Muradnagar had even subsided, three members of the same family were beaten and hacked to death by local residents. Accusing the family of involvement in drug dealing, a public announcement was made over loudspeakers inciting people to kill them on Thursday. There is no doubt that drug dealing is a crime, but does that justify beating someone to death? Where is the law in this country? Why do we have police stations and law enforcement?
On Monday night, in the heart of Dhaka, a group of men led by Monir Hossain, convener of the Banani unit of the Jubo Dal, stormed into Zakaria Hotel in Mohakhali and attacked two women. According to the case filed with Banani police station, a man named Monir came and demanded access to the VIP cabin. Since it was already reserved for another guest, the request was denied. The next day, 1 July, at around 8:40 pm, Monir returned with 20 to 25 men. As soon as they entered the restaurant, they began hurling glasses and smashing things. Such is the behaviour of a Jubo Dal leader.
In recent times, BNP leaders and activists have not only been named in connection with various crimes, but they have also been victims of violent incidents. In Tajmahal Road of Mohammadpur, a BNP leader named Md Mintu was attacked and killed by miscreants. He was the treasurer of BNP's Unit 3 of Ward 29.
On Thursday night in Raozan upazila of Chattogram, a fight broke out between two groups of local youths over smoking. While trying to stop the altercation, former Jubo Dal leader Muhammad Alamgir was killed. During the Awami League government’s tenure, he had not been able to return to his village. After the people’s uprising on 5 August last year, he came back home. Eleven months later, he lost his life at the hands of a teenage gang.
Another shocking incident was the snatching of detainees from a police station lock-up. Following a mobile court’s sentencing of two employees of a leaseholder over extortion allegations, an attack was carried out on Patgram police station in Lalmonirhat. Around 10:30 pm on Wednesday, a group of 200 to 250 people stormed the station, vandalised property, and forcibly freed the two convicted individuals. BNP and affiliated organisation members were involved in the attack. To bring the situation under control, BGB forces were deployed outside the police station.
Am I safe in this country? That’s not an easy question to answer. In order to survive here, we say ‘yes’ to everything. We tolerate, adjust and endure.Azmeri Haque Badhon, actress
A case has been filed against local BNP leader Zakir Hossain in the capital’s Shah Ali area, accusing him of assaulting a woman. The victim accused Zakir Hossain of physically assaulting her. She went to Shah Ali police station to file the case on Saturday night, after 10 pm.
The government often instructs law enforcement to uphold the law. But in doing so, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Patiya police station in Chattogram, Abu Zayed Md Nazmun Noor, ended up facing consequences. Activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement brought an activist of the banned Chhatra League, Dipankar Dey, to Patiya police station. Since there were no charges against him, the police did not arrest him. What followed between police and the movement’s activists was, however, an unfortunate incident.
When people fall victim to crime, they turn to law enforcement. But it is also important to examine what that law enforcement is doing. In Motijheel, Dhaka, three people were arrested in connection with the snatching of Tk 3 million (Tk 30 lakh) by individuals posing as Detective Branch (DB) police. Motijheel police recovered a Toyota HiAce van used in the crime and Tk 89,000 in cash.
On 26 June at noon, two employees -- Md. Khalil Mia and Ibrahim Hossain Rifat -- were on their way from a business establishment in Wari’s Nawabpur area to deposit Tk 3 million (Tk 30 lakh) at City Bank in Motijheel. Around 12:45 pm, when they reached near Ghoroya Hotel in Motijheel, six to seven men identifying themselves as DB police forced them into a HiAce microbus. The men then threatened them with weapons, beat them, and snatched the money.
In another incident in Bogura, six individuals, including a member of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), were arrested while trying to flee after extorting Tk 70,000 by threatening arrest. The APBn member, Al Hadi, is from Charalkandi village in Sonatala upazila. His family has a dispute with Shafiqul Rahman, who lives in nearby Katlahar village. The six, traveling in an APBn pickup van, went to Katlahar village posing as police and attempted to detain Shafiqul’s son Walid on allegations of online gambling.
Shafiqul paid Tk 70,000 to get his son released. Later, he called the national emergency helpline 999 to report that the money was extorted by people posing as police. In response, police from Gabtali and Sadar stations launched an operation and seized the pickup van.
On one hand, some members of law enforcement are engaging in robbery and extortion. On the other, some are falling victim to mob violence while trying to enforce the law properly. Some political party leaders are being killed while protesting injustice, while others are using their power to snatch convicted criminals from police custody. This is not a sign of a healthy or normal state of affairs.
Speaking to Prothom Alo about the incident of rape and assault in Muradnagar, actress Azmeri Haque Badhon said, “Am I safe in this country? That’s not an easy question to answer. In order to survive here, we say ‘yes’ to everything. We tolerate, adjust and endure.”
This spirit of adjusting is not just personal, but societal. It is the society’s overwhelming silence and the tendency of some powerful individuals to take the law into their own hands that have created this environment of insecurity. What is the way out?
* Sohrab Hassan is joint editor of Prothom Alo and a poet
* The views expressed are the writer’s own