Combating crimes through social movement

Khalilur Rahman Home Minister Shahara Khatun has urged the people to launch social movement through forming social organizations in different localities and include government officials concerned in those civic bodies in order to curb crimes. The minister, while addressing a especial meeting on law and order at the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rajshahi on October 23, asked the government officials to help the members of the public constitute such social bodies in their respective areas. The home minister wondered why people talk about godfathers of criminals who are at large, instead of cooperating with the police in order to nab them. In her address, the home minister said that the number of miscreants roaming around are small and if the people extend cooperation to the police the gangs of criminals cannot maintain their existence in the society. She regretted that people often blame police whenever there is a criminal incident. It is not possible for the police to guard everybody's house in the country with a population of about 160 million, the home minister viewed. The home minister's contention about police-public cooperation is undoubtedly essential in fighting crimes. Without people's active cooperation, it is not possible for the law enforcers to combat crimes in the society. But how far people can extend corporation when allegations of nexus between police and the law private TV channel last Tuesday last (October 25) telecast a chilling account of car lifting in the city with the help of a section of policemen. The video footage showed a carjacker describing in details how various gangs of car lifters are committing the crimes in connivance with a section of police personnel. Of late, there has been a sharp rise in hijacking of cars in Dhaka city. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authority told the press recently that about five hundred cars have been stolen during this year. According to DMP statistics, 133 cars were stolen alone in two months - July and August - of which 76 could be recovered. Police records say over two thousand cars were hijacked in last three years of which one third were recovered by the police and 1,400 suspected criminals arrested. We have reasons to believe that the actual figure of car hijackings in recent times will be much higher as many cases go unreported. Police sources told the media that about two hundred criminals are active in Dhaka city alone in car lifting. The situation is no better in other areas also, particularly in the field of trade and commerce. About 15 robberies were committed on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway alone in last month. A of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exports Association (BGMEA) leader alleged that the miscreants were looting trucks, containers and covered vans carrying readymade garments (RMG) products to Chittagong port for exports, according to a press report. At a recent meeting with the home minister, the business leaders complained about hijacking of goods-laden trucks on highways which is increasing at an alarming rate. The business leaders were critical of police role in combating the crime. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) who was present at the meeting assured the businessmen of proper actions in this regard. He advised the affected businessmen to lodge specific written complaints. Filing of written complaints in respective police stations form part of procedural matters under law in case of criminal incidents. But this is not enough. People have the right to ask the police authority about what it is doing in checking highway robberies, hijackings and all other criminal incidents. We know we have not enough police force with proper logistics support. It is not also possible to guard every house as has been stated by the home minister in Rajshahi. But we also know that there is no country on earth where the government could deploy law enforcers to guard each house. What we urgently need now is to work for improving image of the police in public eye. It is the foremost duty of the government to take measures in right direction so that members of the public can both respect and trust the police as their true friends. Only then the people will volunteer to give information about the law breakers to the police without the fear of reprisals by the criminal gangs. (Email: khalilbdh@gmail.com)