A SERIES of mob attacks on the police and their stations centring on attempts at snatching away the detained that have taken place recently, the latest having happened in Dhaka at night on February 4, are deplorable on a couple of counts. Such incidents taking place one after another harm law enforcement and the public perception about law enforcement. The incidents also show that the law and order has been in shape after it declined since the August 2024 political changeover, bringing to the fore the failure of the interim government that assumed office on August 8, 2024 after the overthrow of the Awami League regime on August 5 that year after a mass uprising. Several hundred people, reported to be associated with the Students Against Discrimination, attacked the Uttara Pashchim police station after the police had detained three students on charges of extortion. The mob pelted the station house with stones. The complaints of extortion were earlier filed with the Uttara Purba police station. The detained were, however, later released.
Two days ago on February 2, several hundred people of the Awami League snatched a leader of the party from a police vehicle at Sujanagar in Pabna. Eight police personnel came to be injured when the people snatched the Awami League leader, a fugitive accused in a case filed in connection with attacks on students during the July鈥揂ugust uprising. Awami League leaders and activists attacked the Tungipara police station in Gopalganj the same day when the police arrested a leader of the Chhatra League 鈥� the Awami League鈥檚 student front that was banned on October 23, 2024 for breaching public security during the 15 years of the authoritarian rule of the Awami League 鈥� and stopped Awami League people from distributing leaflets. At least six police personnel were injured and their vehicle was vandalised. Leaders and activists of the Chhatra Dal, the students front of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on January 25 attacked the New Market police station in Dhaka as they tried to snatch a ranking Chhatra Dal leader who was arrested in connection with traders having been hacked in front of the Multiplan Centre shopping mall on the Elephant Road at night on January 10. Five police personnel, including a city police assistant commissioner, became injured. The investigation officer says that the leader was not named accused but police found evidence of his involvement. The attempt at snatching the Chhatra Dal leader, however, failed and he was later remanded in police custody for interrogation.
Whilst the series of attacks on the police and their station houses show the government鈥檚 failure to put law enforcement back in order, this will, in fine, encourage further lawlessness unless the government effectively deals with the issues. Leaders of the organisations carrying out the attacks also have issues to shore up.
