The death toll in political programme-related violence has risen to about three dozens since October 25 last. Nine people succumbed to their burn injuries in just a month. In the latest major attack, thought to be the detonation of a petrol bomb inside a running bus near Shahbagh, 19 people suffered severe burn injuries, of whom many will unfortunately die. All fire victims, irrespective of the circumstances in which they sustain burn injuries, suffer unbearable pain. The scene at the burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital is cut out from hell itself. Bandaged all over or covered with a thick layer of white lotion, patients either lie motionless or writhe in pains and their wailing near and dear ones helplessly look at. Mixed emotion of love for the victim and rage against the perpetrators and politicians well up in their bosoms. All because they know their bread earners or loved ones have fallen victim to needless violence for no fault of their own.
Political protests have long crossed the universally accepted limit. No law or common sense approves lethal attacks on common people. Even during war times, civilian casualties are avoided at all costs. But in this country, unsuspecting people who may or may not have any political affiliation are now becoming the target of bomb or arson attacks. One understands if the police and political activists or rival political groups fight pitched battles. But people who cannot help coming out on duty's call defying hartal or blockade are no party to the political rivalries. Targeting them for deadly attacks will never totally stop people's mobility; they are required to move from one place to another on urgent errands. People have to fulfil their basic needs for survival. There are people -and their number is quite high -who have to earn daily wages in order to maintain their families. What happens when a 17-year-old leguna (a kind of human hauler) driver, the only bread-earner of his family, dies as a result of such mindless attack?
The country's politics has led the nation to a macabre and grotesque scene where human values, principle, rationality and moral considerations have been surrendered with abandon. Or how else can the ruling side and the opposition camp can trade blame on each other for the wide-scale railway sabotage, bombing and torching of vehicles full of passengers?
Leaders of the ruling party, including the prime minister, accuse the opposition of killing people in order to grab power. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general blames various government agencies and ruling Awami League cadres for such attacks. Exchange of salvoes of accusations will not be able to return those who were killed in such attacks to their families, many of which are now destined to fall apart or disintegrate. Are politicians incapable of compassion and compunction?
When a bank employee is directly targeted of a bomb attack, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders-laden trucks parked before a chemical factory are set on fire and rail tracks or fish plates clandestinely removed precisely aimed at causing accidents to approaching trains, these acts speak of the monstrosity of some people. Why are leaders on both sides of the political divide not found passionate about condemning such evil acts? Imagine the mentality of the perpetrators who have burnt people alive, shattered the skull of the woman bank employee by hurling bombs and caused death or injury to scores by their sabotage responsible for train derailment! How can they sleep at night? They have no enmity with their victims and yet they are either forcing the latter to go through pains beyond tolerance or killing them. Has not religion taught them what a cardinal sin is? Or, in case they are irreligious, are they totally devoid of conscience?
The land is fast sliding into an Afghanistan-like situation of hatred and mayhem. Time the politicians stopped their heedless journey towards a point of no return. What a dangerous prospect if this legacy of violence haunts the future generations of this country!
Victims of violence
Neil Ray | Published: December 02, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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