Recent attacks, looting and acts of vandalism have drawn criticism across Bangladesh, with the police unable to take effective measures to stop them. In the past few days alone, the Radda health centre in Dhaka’s Mirpur has been demolished, a studio at ECB Chattar attacked and ransacked, and further incidents reported in Adabar and Chand Udyan in Mohammadpur and at various other locations.
The incidents have led to questions about the state of law and order in the country. Allegations of involvement by local political forces have surfaced in many of the cases, and concern is mounting in civil society.
Representatives of civic groups argue that each incident should be investigated impartially, regardless of the political affiliation of those involved, and that visible action must be taken against the perpetrators.
In the early hours of September 25, the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 was attacked, ransacked and looted, and several of its structures were then demolished. There are allegations that the looting took place in the presence of police.
The health centre said the attackers had held its security guards hostage and made off with medicines, vaccines, medical equipment and other supplies; the building was later torn down with heavy machinery.
Nine people have been arrested so far in the Radda incident and two truckloads of goods recovered, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police. CCTV footage that has since been released shows police vehicles outside the premises while the looting was underway. A police officer said an investigation committee had found evidence of negligence by police after the allegations were made, and the officer-in-charge of Shah Ali police station has since been withdrawn.
A day after the attack on the Radda health centre, New Gini Properties in the ECB Chattar was attacked, vandalised and looted, with the studio of content creator Salman Muqtadir and nearby structures reportedly targeted. Police say the incident may have stemmed from a dispute over the occupation of land, and that three people have been arrested.
Similar allegations of attack, vandalism and looting over an attempt to seize land and a building have been reported at Chand Udyan in Mohammadpur. According to the victims, a group of men armed with sticks carried out the attack. A complaint has been lodged at the local police station.
Where incidents are alleged to have arisen from disputes over the occupation of land or buildings, demands are growing to scrutinise local political influence, the abuse of power and the role of the law-enforcement agencies. If organised attacks, looting and occupation take hold behind the cover of land or business disputes, the security of private property will be put at risk and the government’s capacity to enforce the law will be called into question. Civil society representatives therefore argue that, alongside separate cases and investigations into the recent incidents, it is vital to establish whether they share a common pattern.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of the civil-society group SHUJAN-Citizens for Good Governance, told Bonik Barta: “Incidents such as the attack, looting and occupation at Radda MCH and in various other places across the country, coming one after another, are a reflection of the deteriorating law-and-order situation. We are concerned by such incidents. At the same time, the failure to keep individuals linked to the government or holding party affiliations under control has become clear. Political identity should under no circumstances be a consideration in establishing the rule of law. If these incidents continue, it’s not only the law-and-order situation that will suffer, the country’s political stability will be damaged too. So it’s extremely important that those involved are impartially brought under the law as a matter of urgency.”
The demolished building that housed the Radda MCH-FP health centre. Photo: Staff Photographer
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called for the incidents at Radda and ECB, along with other allegations of land-grabbing, extortion and the assertion of dominance across the country, not to be treated as isolated cases.
Its executive director, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, told Bonik Barta: “With the patronage of a member of parliament from a reserved seat, and in the presence of police, a charitable institution that has provided health care to poor and helpless mothers and children for half a century has been destroyed in front of hundreds of people. What kind of example is the ruling party setting? After the fall of an authoritarian kleptocracy through the bloody July uprising, what message do such actions by the leaders and activists of a party that came to power on the popular mandate of a historic election send to the people of this country?
“The arbitrary conduct of the previous authoritarian government is still fresh in people’s minds. Against that backdrop, are BNP policymakers weighing the consequences of the ongoing land-grabbing and extortion by a significant section of the party’s leaders and activists? After the political changeover, many of the party’s leaders and activists at the grassroots and at other levels began behaving recklessly, something being discussed with concern in the media, among observers and in political circles,” he added.
Dr Tawohidul Haque, an associate professor in Dhaka University’s social welfare institute, told Bonik Barta: “The confidence that had been built among people over the past seven months about the law-and-order situation has been somewhat shaken by the recent incidents in Mirpur and Mohammadpur. People expected a political government to ease their anxiety about security and ensure a climate of relief, alongside controlling law and order. It can’t be said the government is not trying: efforts are underway to act against criminals and to restore the morale of the law-enforcement agencies. But the government must also look into whether crimes are being committed or instigated in a planned way in exchange of money.”
Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton said allegations of both political involvement and police inaction required impartial investigation.
“The incidents that have taken place in various parts of the country over the past few days are without doubt a cause for concern,” he told Bonik Barta. “In the cases of the attack and looting at the Radda health centre in Mirpur, the attack and vandalism at the housing establishment in ECB Chattar, and various incidents in Adabar and Chand Udyan in Mohammadpur, allegations of political involvement have surfaced. These allegations must be investigated impartially. If leaders or activists of any political party are directly or indirectly involved, they too must be brought under the law. At the same time, the allegations of inaction by the law-enforcement agencies, or of bias towards one side, also need to be examined. The government needs to take swift, visible and effective steps.”
Rising criminality in society also damages the economy and business, according to Dr Nazneen Ahmed, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
“The country has a large young population, a significant share of whom are unemployed. Inflation is another factor. Taken together, this has bred criminal tendencies in many,” she told Bonik Barta. “If the law is not applied strictly, there’s a risk that those tendencies will grow. That’s not good for the economy, because one of its essential requirements is the ability to do business safely and without disruption.”
Police say the force remains small compared to the population, with fewer than one officer for every 1,500 people. When large numbers of people gather at a major incident, bringing the situation under control immediately becomes a challenge.
Md Sayedur Rahman, additional inspector general of police (crime and operations), said: “There will always be challenges in maintaining law and order. For that reason, society as a whole must take a responsible role rather than relying solely on the law-enforcement agencies. Before the attack and looting at the Radda health centre, a huge number of people gathered at the scene at once. In that situation it is difficult to bring things under control immediately with a limited number of police personnel. We tried to bring the situation under control within the force’s capacity.”
He added: “Police are working on both fronts, preventing crimes before they occur, and afterwards identifying those involved and bringing them under the law. If any political figure is involved in a crime, the police are giving them no protection of any kind. Political identity doesn’t exempt anyone where a crime is concerned. Action is being taken against those involved as soon as information comes in.”