THE resurgence of the rampage against houses and property, especially of the leaders of the Awami League and its fallen government, brings to the fore some issues to be pondered and, also, acted on. The interim government, installed on August 8, 2024, has urged public restraints but appears to have largely failed to act against the rampage at hand, which began on February 5. The rampage that took place after the August 5 deposal of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in office for a decade and a half in an authoritarian manner, was largely a spontaneous result of the anger and grief that had been pent up among the people against the authoritarianism. Besides, law and order miserably declined on the day of the deposal which had continued for some weeks as there was no government whilst the interim government, installed three days later, needed some time to tie loose ends and get a grip on the situation.
But the resurgence of the rampage now six months after the deposal questions the standing of the government, which swore an oath by the constitution and is, therefore, mandated to protect the citizens and their property keeping to customary laws. Besides, the joint-force Operation Devil Hunt that the government launched on February 8 to restore law and order and stop violent crimes appears worrisome. The drive 鈥� which came about in the wake of attacks in the name of students on the house of a former Awami League minister in Gazipur where the attackers faced resistance and counter-attacks 鈥� to hunt down the 鈥榙evils鈥� is highly contentious. The police say that the attackers on the house in Gazipur were people who included Students Against Discrimination activists. Now that the operation has been launched, the people running the operation should make it clear who defines who the devils are and who are the devils. The attackers or the attacked? 鈥楧evil鈥� is an overbroad term. The government should adequately inform the citizens of the definitions and act accordingly. It is, otherwise, highly likely that the operation would go awry, constitute illegal action and earn the government a bad name.
Whilst all this goes on, the government, already six months into the assumption of office, appears slow in holding to account the people, leaders of the Awami League and law enforcement and security personnel, arrested and detained on charges of the killing of more than 800 people during the July-August uprising and injuring an estimated 20,000 people. The government should, rather, pull its finger out in keeping law and expediting, but not hurrying, the announced trial of the Awami League-era perpetrators of severe crimes.
