Editorial
Bid to grab private property by force
This nefarious activity must be curbed
IT seems that the wicked would stop at nothing to get what they want. A recent incident of kidnapping and unlawful confinement of a family of nine in old Dhaka amply illustrates the regrettable increase in the incidence of illegal grabbing of property, particularly of the vulnerable. In many such cases the predators use their political link to exert undue pressure on the victims. In this case, reportedly, force was used at the behest of a developer who had tried but failed to secure the property of the victims, and used force to lay their hands on the small piece of property, the only possession of the poor family.
Thankfully, the ordeal of the nine, whose house was broken into in the middle of the night and ransacked before being themselves kidnapped and confined illegally, was short lived. Credit must go to the police for a prompt and successful rescue operation. However, the matter is symptomatic of our social decay where the use of guile and force has become a way with the greedy. The incident also exposes the abject vulnerability of the poor and the marginalised to whom the state agencies should provide all manner of respite, succor and protection. Thankfully too, the kidnappers have been apprehended and one would hope that they would not be able to wriggle out of the judicial process by using their influence.
But this brings us to the fundamental question of what can be done to stem the practice of exploitation of the weak by the looters. And there is a gang that is engaged in this activity. Not only are the victims cheated out of whatever little they possess, those that try to resist are either coerced and forced to comply or killed, only for the sake of a small piece of property.
And there is very good reason why the victims do not normally seek the help of the police or take recourse to law. While at times the unhelpful attitude of the former acts as a disincentive, the legal process is costly in terms of time and money.
Apart from seeing that the kidnappers are given the severest of punishments, we feel that the government should also immediately engage seriously in addressing the matter and devise ways and means to prevent the vulnerable from undue harassment, pressure and torture in giving up their possessions.
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