Opinion
The Scourge of Terrorism
There has been a lot of bluster around the topic of terrorism of late on every front - at the Jatiya Sangsad, mass rallies, mass media and where not. For every conscientious people of our society it is a matter of grave concern. Everyday, we find in the newspapers how the terrorists, mastaans extortionist, and other anti-social elements have made the lives of innocent people absolutely miserable. The extent of their atrocities has surpassed all previous records. Businessmen, contractors, builders, small shopkeepers, professionals and even somebody intending to make constructions on his own plots are subjected to extortion. These people continuously pester their victims through intimidation, threats over telephone threatening to hijack their wards or kill them in case of failure to fulfil their demands. Out of fear of retaliation by the miscreants and anticipating no remedial measures from the police, very few approach the police stations and file GD. As a result, the evil-doers are getting away merrily unpunished. In this way, the city-dwellers are passing their days as virtual hostage in the hands of these antisocial elements. Though our home ministry is highly determined to punish the entire lot, there is no sign of recession to these sort of crimes. Rather it is the other way around. Except largescale operations in the North Bengal and putting a good number behind the bar, there has not been any significant drives in other parts of the country, particularly Dhaka and Chittagong Metropolitan areas. Even if few arrests are made, they are coming out scot free on bail given by the courts as there have not been adequate evidence for the alleged offence. And once they come out, they start their activities with renewed frenzy.
Have we to conclude therefore that the criminals will get the upperhand in our society and the vast majority will tolerate the inhuman, barbaric oppressions of these people? Is there no effective machinery to prevent and curb these misdeeds and punish the culprits? Certainly, we have. The only reason why the law and order enforcing authorities cannot rise to the occasion is that either they themselves are beneficiaries or they are unable to discharge their duties on account of undue interference from political fronts. If we want to establish a crime-free society by restoring confidence among members of the public as regards sincerity of police force the above two causes have to be eliminated. In this direction following measures can be fruitful:
First, the government must ensure the safety and protect the lives and properties of the complainants and their families. At present nobody dares to report to the police and testify against the terrorists, murderers as they are and threatened by them of dire consequence in case they (victims) do. And instances of gruesome retaliation in such cases are not rare. As a result of which the criminals cannot be brought to book. This is a great handicap toward punishing the culprits and dispensation of justice. How to overcome the situation then or ensure legal protection to the aggrieved? It is known to everybody that the police stations concerned are fully aware of the terrorists in their respective areas. So if any case is recorded against any individual offender(s), he or they should be arrested at once and should be kept in custody for longer period. Any delinquency should be dealt with severely. In this regard, the prevailing law of granting bails may be amended if necessary for the safety and security of the complainant(s). The anti-terrorist law should be tougher otherwise the very purpose behind the law cannot be served and the criminals will freely carry on their operations.
Secondly, in my view, the present police force is not adequate to combat the largescale terrorism going on at every nook and corner of the country. Moreover, they are not equipped with sophisticated arms and ammunitions to stand a chance against their adversaries. As a result, prompt operations are not possible and often the perpetrators escape by overpowering the police. Therefore, an effective expansion of police force with sophisticated arms is essential. Side by side, the local government representatives, such as union council members, ward commissioners can play a vital role in collaboration with the police. Anti-terrorist committees can be formed in every locality which should be a representative body of people from all walks of life in addition to the officer-in-charge of the police station concerned acting as the coordinator. Members of the committee can be assigned with the task of identifying local terrorists, extortionists, mastaans etc. They will also help the police arrest them from their hideouts. Effective telecommunication equipment should be provided to the committee for quicker action. Any case of threat, intimidation, coercion or other anti-social activities may be reported to these committees for instant remedial measures. If possible in course of time, the committee may be given some judicial power to try and punish the culprits. The extent of punishment, depending on the nature of offence, may be determined by the government. This will ease the load of cases pending with the courts. Moreover local people can, to a certain extent, feel relieved.
Thirdly, in my opinion, the most potent way of arresting the culprits is by making combing operations without notice. If possible, the whole of Dhaka city may be brought under such operations by giving curfew from dusk to dawn. The operations may be carried on jointly by members of the police, BDR and Army. Nobody will be allowed to leave the city during the period. People intending to travel by air may be allowed. Other passengers travelling by train or bus may be allowed after being thoroughly searched by law enforcing agencies. Exceptions may be made in case of emergency services, serious patients and journalists. This sudden swoop will definitely enable the government to bring to book a good number of the identified terrorists who are now running an underground parallel administration flouting the law of the land.
Last but not the least, until and unless the political influence is resisted, no amount of deterrent measures will work. If somebody commits an offence keeping in mind that his godfather will come to his rescue every time, and it actually so happens, then goods cannot be delivered. If people at the helm of affairs exercise undue influence in favour of the criminals instead of nabbing them, the misdeeds will go on unabated. This is not only harmful for the society but also causes immense damage to the image of the party the person making 'tadbir' belongs to, whether ruling or opposition. Our people in general are above such politics and extremely critical of politicians doing everything in the name of politics for their own selfish gains rather than improving the lot of commonman to which they are supposedly committed. If political interests prevail over justice, social maladies will always remain there.
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