Barisal fiasco

The police move had created much enthusiasm among the local people exhausted by their long bout with lawlessness rooted, by and large, in political extremism. But their hopes have been somewhat dashed and a number of questions have arisen after the much-vaunted ceremony got cancelled, despite the home minister being present on the occasion.

The issue has to be examined in all its ramifications. Barisal police did a good job when they negotiated painstakingly for months with the extremists and could apparently convince them, that returning to normal life was the best available option. However, the whole process needed a properly laid out legal framework to be undertaken and brought to its logical conclusion. What the experience basically underlines is coordination failure and an attitude of casualness to a serious matter.

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It is hardly an acceptable argument that bad weather prevented the MPs from arriving on time. Even if that is true, there is no way to refute the truth that the organisers of the ceremony did not cover all contingencies to make the surrender happen.

Lack of clarity about how to execute the plan contributed significantly to the debacle. But that was not expected when a matter of such grave concern was being handled. We hope the surrender ceremony will be rearranged sooner than later with all the precautions taken in the light of the experience gathered to make a success of it.