Stop violence and ease public anxiety

In recent days, some unwanted incidents have occurred across the country, which no one would have desired. We have witnessed the extreme arrogance of mob justice throughout the nation. There have been attacks, vandalism, and arson on various establishments and houses for three consecutive days in different districts, including the Dhanmondi 32 area. These events have stirred up anxiety, fear, and concern among the people. In response to the situation, the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has had to issue three statements within two days. Similarly, the Adviser to the interim government, Mahfuz Alam, called for public calm and urged the government to be allowed to do its work, sharing his message on social media late Thursday night. However, the situation has not been fully brought under control.

Such a situation has arisen six months into the interim government's tenure, at a time when the country's law and order were beginning to stabilize. As reported in the media on Saturday, February 8, the unrest has been attributed to the provocative and inciting speeches made by the deposed autocrat, Sheikh Hasina, in the context of her speech being broadcast on the Facebook page of the banned organization, Chhatra League, while she was in India. This sparked anger among students and the public. As a result, on the evening of February 5, the anniversary of the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, students and the public began protesting at Dhanmondi 32.

The question of who incited the violence is now irrelevant. This has not only highlighted the extreme anarchy in our law and order situation but has also severely damaged our international reputation. The instigators likely aimed for this outcome. The incidents of vandalism have been widely reported in international media.

Secondly, the general population of our country has lost trust in the current government to a great extent. These attacks and acts of vandalism have proven that the current government lacks the power to control mob justice. When law and order deteriorate to such an extent in a country, there is no issue more concerning than this.

What was needed was a stronger call for justice against the genocidal fascist government and an urgent demand to arrest the fugitive criminals, bring them back to the country, and put them on trial. However, instead of addressing this, the anger and frustration were expressed through the destruction of homes and properties, which not only wasted considerable energy but also squandered valuable resources. In this process, the criminals themselves have gained considerable sympathy. It is important to remember that political and legal issues must be resolved through politics and law, and not through mob justice. The resolution will never come through public retribution.

Another serious issue is the mixed reactions, misunderstandings, anxiety, fear, tension, uncertainty, and instability that have arisen among the people as a result of these incidents. Overcoming this will not be easy. We have seen that those who were at the forefront of the mass uprisings in the past, who risked their lives to fight against the fascist government, have criticized these events, and through the current attackers and their supporters, they themselves have become tainted. This division line must be removed. Just as the government must deal with these incidents firmly, the protesters and current movement participants also need to handle these events with more awareness and reasoning.

First, we must consider who benefits most from each incident. The national interest must come first. We cannot fight against our enemies while fighting among ourselves. The fear, insecurity, and sense of safety that the recent events have instilled in the general public must be addressed. The government must remain alert, but the protesters must also be conscious of their actions. It is important to remember that defeated forces will always incite; as long as they remain outside the reach of justice, they will continue to provoke us. It would not be wise to allow their incitements to break our unity.