Abduction topped by murder

Their ilk, the kidnappers waiting in the wings to pounce on another businessman, may have taken a cue there. They thought of crafting a design not to milk money through a demand for ransom but to satisfy some vendetta by killing off their target after abduction. Business magnate Rezaur Rahman Zakir (42) was shot dead on being kidnapped in the same city allegedly in the wake of a land dispute with an influential BNP leader who has since denied having had any hand in the matter in police interrogation.

These are no isolated incidents; on the contrary, they are the manifestations of a nosedive in law and order situation -- thanks to the growing impunity with which criminals have been operating, especially in the port city of Chittagong. Abduction of Jamaluddin Ahmed and the abortive search for him have led the chamber people of Chittagong to announce a protest hartal for August 21 in the city. In view of the extremely fragile law and order situation, the chamber president Amir Humayun has decided to approach the home minister with a set of suggestions designed to improve the security environment in the port city.

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Gnawing sense of insecurity among business and industrial communities will not only dampen their initiative it will also have a negative impact on investment as a whole, both local and foreign. What we basically need for a turn-around is a determined political will on the part of the government permeating all administrative and law enforcement tiers.