Where is the end to breach of law?

Videos on army personnel conducting drives against errant bike riders and drivers in capital Dhaka have been a popular item on YouTube. The videos have exposed a bitter truth about law abidance in Bangladesh society. If anyone minutely watches the videos, they will understand the extent of Bangladeshi people's lack of respect for law. Almost none caught violating traffic rules seemed ready to admit their wrongdoing, let alone accepting punishment for that. Everyone had their logic and excuse to justify their breach of law. The excuse of bikers for not wearing helmets, which has been a regular phenomenon in the capital, is almost identical -- they were not going far, just moving around their residences. And almost all drivers who were caught running their vehicles against the usual flow of traffic argued that they were compelled to take the wrong path to avoid congestion.

Traffic law breaking has been so frequent in Bangladesh that most of the citizens now consider it the norm. Citizens have certainly played a big role in creating such a situation, but the role of the authorities is even bigger. Ground situation suggests the authorities enact many laws only to see them violated. For example, anyone can breach the law regarding smoking at public places anytime without any risk of being punished because of the lack of any effective enforcement mechanism. The non-existence of these sorts of laws is far better than their existence. When Bangladesh lacked any law on smoking, citizens could at least expect some day there would be a law and they would be saved from the impact of passive smoking. Now not only their hope has been shattered due to the non-enforcement, it has contributed to the culture of law breaking. And the results are obvious. Bangladesh's position in the global Rule of Law Index is at the bottom. The country remained in the 127th position in the index among 142 countries for the third year in a row since 2022. The latest index, released by the World Justice Project (WJP) in October last year shows that Bangladesh ranked 4th out of six South Asian countries, only ahead of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The impact of breach of law is far-reaching on our society, economy and respect as a nation. It is not just a legal issue but a societal one that touches on governance, human rights, and development. The respect for law, which is a must to establish ourselves as a civilised nation among the global community, is not developing among our children as they grow seeing us not willing to abide by law.

Bangladesh authorities are making a lot of efforts and spending huge resources to attract foreign investment for the development of the country. Unfortunately, the response is not as expected. The poor rule of law is a great contributor here. How will potential investors come up with a positive decision when they see Bangladesh's position in the rule of law index is far below the expected level?

The breach of law in Bangladesh is a systemic issue that requires an urgent and holistic approach to end. The first thing we need is political will to bring about meaningful change. Strengthening the independence of the judiciary, ensuring transparent recruitment and accountability in law enforcement, streamlining judicial processes, and change in citizens' attitude towards law are also necessary for that. A just and fair society cannot flourish in an environment where high respect for law does not exist. It is high time Bangladesh reaffirms its constitutional promise and takes steps towards establishing the rule of law.

rahmansrdk@gmail.com