Unjustified collateral damage

The country is now experiencing a new form of innovative violence and mindless atrocities are being committed by unscrupulous arsonists. According to media, more than 75 lives have been lost due to the ongoing political violence, mostly from petrol bombs hurled on long distance buses and trucks. And this is the price we are paying for our brand of democracy. Loss of life and property from such violence in the name of democracy is often termed as "collateral damage". Ostensibly, innocent citizens are, by and large, the victims of political discord and anarchy. True political leaders should have respect for citizens, but unfortunately we find just the reverse in our country. Mindless elements dominate our political arena.  

If the political leaders do not shun the path of violence as a means to establish peace, the law enforcing agencies cannot help the cause of putting an end to such mayhem. If I am not mistaken, we have only one police man against every ten thousand citizens, which goes to indicate that to nab an arsonist in our densely populated country is like searching for a needle in a hay stack.

Our political leaders must eschew this outrageous path of carnage or accept responsibility for such "collateral damage".

Hasnat Emanuel

Banani, Dhaka