Restoring law and order

FE Team | Published: August 07, 2024 21:17:27

The events of August 5 last are momentous, so are the possibilities. Surely, the quota-reform movement turned anti-disparity revolution that overthrew the government of Sheikh Hasina has been unique in history because it has been spearheaded by no political party or leader but by students. The changes they look forward to is in the system that creates autocrats and leaves room for exploitation of the majority by a privileged few in society. No wonder, their movement has appealed to the masses who have joined them to expedite the fall of Sheikh Hasina government. But how the dream they have painted before the nation will come true is the million-dollar question.
In the context of the triumph of the student movement, the army has played a crucial role as the police are now maligned because of their anti-people role during the peaceful movement. But in time of such changes, any exercise of a sobering influence on elements involved in widespread anarchy, looting, retributive attacks, arson and plunder of both public and private property, particularly targeting the minority community is almost missing. A shining example of a rare exception to this general decline in law and order is the voluntary vigil madrasha students have enforced to protect some Hindu temples at a place. Although the coordinators of the student movement have unequivocally condemned such acts of violence and moral decline and also appealed for restraint, things are yet to normalise.
One of the reasons why the elements out to advance their nefarious agenda is the absence of the kind of strict enforcement of discipline during an army takeover. Teams of army personnel were conspicuous by their absence. The invasion and ransacking of the Gonobhaban and the Jatyia Sangsad by the mob marked by free-for-all to loot whatever the invaders could lay their hands on was certainly not a pleasant spectacle. After all, these buildings are public property, not Hasina's own. The Jatyia Sansagsad in particular is the epitome of the nation's democratic aspiration. It is sacrosanct. If this is undermined, the nation is bound to lose its way in the wilderness, sending a wrong message. This may have served as an encouragement for the criminally-bent elements to go on their heinous mission. The delay in formation of an interim government has certainly not helped the cause.
Now the ansars and village defence force have been assigned the duty to guard important infrastructure. The presence of army contingents at key installations would have been a better option. With the formation of the interim government, the void created gets filled and hopefully deployment of the army will be able to ensure full security to all kinds of public property including the secretariat and the Jatiya Sangsad. Students have, in the meantime, given a further account of their obligation to the nation by voluntarily taking over the responsibility of managing traffic on the capital's streets. Now that traffic is thin, the task is not particularly challenging but when normalcy returns, they cannot cope with the tasking job. That the appointment of a new inspector general of police (IGP) is not going to make a difference in the law and order situation is obvious, unless a more radical reform to the force is brought about. This will take time. Until then, the BGB and the army should be posted to restore discipline.