Vulnerable businessmen

Well-organised groups of criminals having the clout to thwart police action are operating in the port city. A number of people have been kidnapped and one may recall that business magnet Jamaluddin was murdered by one such group. Reports suggest that some of the cases were settled after the kidnappers' demand was met. The victims in such cases did not seek help from the law enforcers, which clearly indicates that people have lost confidence in the efficiency of the police. The question is, can they be really blamed for not having enough confidence in the police? The success stories of the law enforcers are far outnumbered by the huge piles of the unresolved cases where the police could make little or no headway. Even in the case of Abul Kalam the police have come nowhere near a breakthrough in more than a week.

There is equally horrific news from Chittagong about the way the killer groups are operating. They have invented new ways of committing murder that make it difficult for the police to follow their trails.

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It is really disquieting to learn that most people believe that the rise of the crime syndicates has a lot to do with the support that they get from big political parties. Indeed, it is not easy to accept the truth that police are being outmaneuvered so easily by the kidnappers. It only suggests that the criminals are drawing their strength from the sources beyond the reach of the law. It also bolsters the widely held view that law enforcers may have become too corrupt to successfully launch an anti-crime drive.

The port city is the commercial hub of the country and, as such, it is doubly important to protect the businessmen from the hands of the kidnappers thriving on their helplessness.