Ensure punishment for crimes committed by political party leaders, activists

The practice of occupying others’ property to establish party political offices has long been prevalent in Bangladesh. Numerous incidents of murder, killing, and violence have occurred over this issue. Recently, the nation witnessed yet another brutal killing of this nature. According to news reports, in an area of Narayanganj, a local office of a political party had long been set up inside an individual's personal shop. The actual owner of the shop, despite repeated requests, could not get the office removed. Eventually, when he demanded the rightful rent for the shop, he was brutally beaten to death.

This news has been confirmed to the media by Khandaker Nasir Uddin, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Araihazar Police Station. The incident took place at around 11:30am on Wednesday (July 31) in Salmodi Bazar of Mahmudpur union in Araihazar upazila.

Undoubtedly, this is a stark exposure of the inhumane face of our overall politics. Politics that kills people to protect self-interest is not just undemocratic—it would be an understatement to call it merely inhumane. Can a political office be established by occupying someone’s private property? If someone demands rent and is murdered for it—what kind of politics is this, what kind of civilisation?

Such actions have been carried out by most political parties in Bangladesh for many years. It seems to have become a part of the country’s political culture. Therefore, if local leaders and activists of a political party become so aggressive, reckless, and violent, what more can be expected of them at the national level?

This incident once again makes us realise the extent of the lack of accountability in the country's politics. Unfortunately, if political parties out of power behave in such a manner out of greed for power, it is not hard to imagine what they will do once they are in power. It is the responsibility of law enforcement, the administration, and the judiciary to ensure exemplary justice in this case. Not only should the killers be brought to justice, but also those who ordered the occupation of the shop or encouraged it must be held accountable.

This recent brutal incident has pointedly shown us how urgently political reform is needed in the country. If political parties cannot change this coercive nature of theirs, we will not only lose personal security but the dream of democracy will also increasingly become a hopeless illusion.

The country’s top leaders are making lofty statements, but why can’t they control their party workers? If leaders at the national level cannot control their activists, such incidents will continue to occur. As a result, ordinary people will become more terrified. They will lose trust in political parties. This will be taken advantage of by anti-democratic forces.

Yet, wasn’t the vow of the July mass uprising to keep the country’s political environment free of conflict, to build a fair and beautiful democratic atmosphere irrespective of party affiliation? Where is the evidence of that? There is no scope to see this incident as isolated. It is a reflection of the overall conflict-ridden political picture of the country. We would also like to tell the government—control the nature of this use of force by political parties. Bring the criminals to justice not as politicians, but as criminals.