Stop extortion, murder, and terrorism

After the brutal killing of scrap goods trader Lal Chand alias Sohag (39) in front of Mitford Hospital in the capital, a horrific incident related to extortion occurred last Friday (July 11) in the Pallabi area of Mirpur in the capital. A group of people, after being denied a demand of Tk 5 crore in extortion, launched an attack with weapons at a real estate company called AK Builders in the Albirtech area of Pallabi.

The attackers fired four rounds during the assault. An official of the company named Shariful Islam was injured by the bullets of the miscreants. He has been admitted to Kurmitola General Hospital. The images of the criminals published in the media are extremely alarming. In broad daylight, a group of armed men roamed the streets freely. The scene looks less like that of a civilised country and more like a Western film.

Due to the rise in mugging and extortion in the country, protests have taken place in various parts including the capital. According to information received by the media today, Sunday (13 July), various political parties, organisations, and students protested yesterday, Saturday, demanding justice and punishment for the incident. The protesters also criticised BNP activists for being involved in a series of crimes across the country, including the killing of Lal Chand. They demanded an end to extortion, murder, and terrorism.

Another proof of the extent of mugging and extortion in the country was seen last Friday in Shyamoli in the capital, where muggers took everything from a pedestrian, including clothes and shoes, at gunpoint. In a video circulating on social media, a man holding an umbrella is seen walking down the street. Suddenly, three people arrive on a motorcycle from behind. One gets off the motorcycle while the others block the road ahead. Then another one from the back of the motorcycle also gets down and surrounds the victim. They are seen holding sharp weapons, which they use to threaten the victim.

Many, after watching this scene, have written on social media that even people's clothes are no longer safe. Fiction writer Moinul Ahsan wrote in a Facebook post, "Leaving the house with clothes on or without—there’s no difference now. If you go out wearing them, there’s no telling who might strip them off and where."

The question is, why has such rampant mugging and extortion spread across the country? The one-word answer is: because of the negligence of law enforcement agencies. But the answer goes even deeper. The deterioration of law and order is certainly linked to mugging and extortion, but even more so is social degradation. On one hand, the number of unemployed is increasing; on the other, political instability is also growing. Ordinary people are now living in extreme uncertainty. Many incidents of extortion are also politically linked. One side is now blaming the other over this. Whatever the situation, the ultimate truth is that the people of the country are now in terrifying insecurity, and the sole and ultimate responsibility lies with the government. Why is the government unable to control the situation?

It has been a year since the mass uprising, and a year since the formation of the interim government. Since the formation of the interim government, it has been evident that the government is unable to control the law and order situation in any way. In the meantime, a sort of brutal mob violence has taken place. None of these can be viewed as isolated incidents. We want to see a swift improvement in the law and order situation of the country. The criminals must be brought under the law. The more negligence the government shows in this regard, the more such incidents will increase. In the end, this will only expose the government’s failure.