An alarming rise in the incidents of abduction in the recent months has sparked concern and panic among the people from all strata in society, rights activists said.
Apart from businessmen, politicians and professionals, general people are also now feeling insecure as the current spate of abduction or forced disappearance has been going on frequently and in silence, observed a citizen with no visible partisan leaning.
It has also raised a number of questions about the activities of the law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order as the people are yet to witness any visible steps to improve the situation, the person added.
In recent months, local and overseas human rights organisations also expressed their deep concern over the 'lawlessness' and urged the government to improve the situation by paying serious attention to the distressing turn of the events.
Washington-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its recent report said Bangladesh tumbled backwards on human rights in 2013. In the report, it also raised the issue of forced disappearances.
Statistics of various local human rights groups showed that the number of abductions over the last four months almost touched the total number of kidnappings recorded in the last full calendar year of 2013.
According to the data of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a total of 54 people have been kidnapped in the last four months until April 29 last, against the number of 68 recorded in 2013.
It said 12 bodies have been found and four of the disappeared persons came back in the last four months. A total of 268 persons have been kidnapped across the country from 2010 to March 2014. Bodies of 43 of them were found, and 24 were released.
Some 53 persons were abducted last year under the name of the law enforcement agencies. But in the first two months of this year, January and February, the number was 25.
Talking on the issue, ASK director Md. Nur Khan Liton said they have collected the number of kidnapping incidents from the national dailies. "But the number will be much higher as there are many such incidents which remain unreported."
He said public safety has been deteriorating day by day in the absence of any visible initiatives by the government to tackle the alarming trend strictly.
The issue of abduction or forced disappearance came to spotlight on April 17, 2012, when former lawmaker and BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) organising secretary (Sylhet Division) M Ilias Ali, along with his driver, went missing in the capital.
Since then, they remained untraced although BNP claimed that the government's security agencies have picked them up.
But the panic of being kidnapped largely spread among the citizens in the second half of April last when unidentified kidnappers abducted businessman Abu Bakar Siddique, husband of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, in broad daylight from Fatullah in Narayanganj district.
Fortunately, the abductors released Siddiqui after 34 hours of his captivity. It is believed that the miscreants set him free in fear of getting into further trouble due to the pressure of the media.
At a press conference on April 24 last, family members of eight young men, who allegedly became victims of forced disappearances, sought the Prime Minister's intervention for the safe return of their loved ones.
They alleged that a section of people identifying themselves as members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-1 unit had picked up their family members on December 4 last from various parts of the city. Since then they remain missing.
The disappeared young men were identified as Sajedul Islam Suman, BNP general secretary of Ward-38, Kawsar, Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Masum, Majharul Islam Rasel, Asaduzzaman, Al Amin, AM Adnan Chowdhury and Zahidul Karim Tanvir.
Expressing serious concern, chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Dr Mizanur Rahman said the state has to take the responsibility of public safety.
Though a few of those abducted victims are returning, most of them remain unnoticed for months. Again, the tales of those who came back have still not been checked, he said.
"Though investigations are continuing after the abductions, a positive outcome could not be seen in many cases, which is inspiring the culprits to continue their misdeeds," he added.
President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said panic has also gripped businessmen like the other stakeholders in the society because of the lawlessness.
"This cannot be allowed to happen and it must be put to an end immediately before the situation goes beyond control," he said.
He added the names of the law enforcement agencies were used frequently in these cases. But the agencies have failed to ensure punishment for the culprits.
"The most alarming thing is that we, the citizens, are still unaware of the initiatives taken by the security agencies to deal with the criminals," said M Hafizuddin Khan, Trustee Member of TIB and former adviser of a caretaker government.
He said the government should immediately share its plan of action regarding public safety with the common people to remove their fear and worries.
"To be honest, I'm also feeling very insecure while going out of my home," he added.
Against these happenings, ruling party lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta a few days ago said the incidents of forced disappearance and kidnapping had crossed limit.
He also said it was a big challenge for the government to stop such crimes, maintain law and order and establish rule of law.
When contacted, a senior official of the police headquarters said they had taken the issue very seriously and withdrew five officials of Narayanganj for the alarming deterioration in law and order marked by a number of incidents of abduction in the recent days.
"Police and RAB officials all over the country have already been instructed to remain alert to nab the kidnappers," he said adding that police administration had taken the issue with utmost priority.
"People will see outcome of these deterrent activities soon," he added.