Anti-state elements among law enforcers?
WHEN a responsible member of the cabinet hints at a number of militant groups believed to have been involved in the BDR carnage we should take it seriously. Investigation is slowly revealing the footprints of the extremist elements, who are known for their cruel methods of execution of unarmed captives. They are capable of masterminding and implementing a carnage of such magnitude as we saw in Pilkhana on February 25. It had the imprints of some deranged people who went berserk for revenge. Vendetta, shall we call it?
Well, some analysts do believe in the theory that vendetta was one of the objectives among many, and the name of JMB has come up once again. Various reports say that more than fifty former JMB operatives have been identified in BDR, Pilkhana, and many of them are believed to have been involved in the killing. This needs to be looked into and verified. The truth must come out.
Now, we have some questions that have been bugging us of late. For example, if it is true that many JMB militants have joined BDR, then how could they do so? We know that one needs clearance certificates from the police, the local UP chairman, etc. to join a disciplined force like BDR. The recruitment follows stages of screening, including some mental and physical tests. Did the JMB men go through all the required examinations and tests to qualify? If any minister of the day had allegedly exerted influence then we want to know who it was and whether the recruitment procedures of BDR can be tampered with so easily.
We also want to know whether an extensive investigation was launched by the police and Rab intelligence soon after the execution of the top JMB leaders to ascertain the whereabouts of the second line leaders. Understandably, they were equally dangerous and posed a veritable threat to law and order. If the operatives of the banned outfit could find their way into a sensitive force like BDR then how safe was the force? Unfortunately, we have come to learn the hard and painful way that it was not safe. We woke up after the damage had been done.
Now, about the number. Do we have any idea, any statistics, any evidence, any record concerning how many extremist elements from JMB and other similar outfits have joined BDR, as well as other forces like the police and the ansar? We fervently hope such elements have been screened out from the army, therefore there is none whatsoever.
Now that the information is coming out about the involvement of extremist elements in the BDR massacre, investigators should also backtrack and scrutinise the records of various forces to trace out others who might have joined with false certificates. Go to the police stations and go to the UP offices to find out who gave them clearance certificates. A nationwide purging is needed to get rid of them once and for all.
We, as a nation, tend to learn unpleasant lessons the hardest possible way and become wiser by default. We excel in analysing events in retrospection. We hardly can anticipate any eventuality. We do not do our homework or advance planning and we do not often use the tactics of surprising the enemy. We, as a nation, like to take a back seat and observe from a safe distance until our own house is set on fire.
More lamentation. Why do we always fortify our position after we have been badly mauled? Why don't we do it before in anticipation? Why do we hesitate to take the first step or to go on the offensive when we are aware of the presence of the killers in our midst? Why do we mostly remain on the receivers' end of a misfortune?
It may sound scary but it is true. The dark forces that are against the nation, against the state and against the constitution are gaining more ground everyday in their offensive than we are doing against them. They are getting more organised, everyday, than we are. They are moving steadily on with one single goal in mind, we have hundreds of goals. They have unwavering commitment, we falter at every step. They have only a few leaders to follow, we have too many. No wonder they beat us blue whenever they get the chance.
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