AN INCREASE in the incidents of robbery and extortion across the country suggests the government鈥檚 deplorable failure to ensure law and order. The interim government, which assumed power on August 8, 2024, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, vowed to prioritise the restoration of law and order. While this is understandable that there was a spate of incidents of robberies and vandalism in the first few days following the fall of the Awami League government, when there was no effective law enforcement force, this beats logic that robbery and extortion have continued and appear to have increased. On February 23, a jewellery businessman was shot and stabbed by robbers, who looted about 200 bhari gold ornaments from the businessman at Banasree in the capital. A video of the robbery made rounds on the social media and generated fear among residents. Incidents of robbery in other parts of Dhaka, especially Mohammadpur, also made the headlines a number of times in the past few weeks. A number of robbery incidents on running buses have, meanwhile, shocked the country. On February 22, a robbery gang looted valuables from the passengers of a BRTC bus and a microbus at Patnitala, Naogaon.
Earlier on February 18, another incident of robbery and sexual assault on female passengers on a running bus traveling from Dhaka to Rajshahi caused widespread public outrage. The fragile law and order is also evident in the increased number of incidents of extortion in markets and roads. All this shows weakness in law enforcement and has caused justified frustration among people, the expression of which is a demand for the resignation of the home adviser 鈥� Dhaka University students demanded the resignation of the home adviser at a rally on February 23. The home adviser, meanwhile, in a press conference at his residence at around 3:00am, blamed the deposed Awami League for the deterioration of the law and order situation and alleged that the collaborators of the fascist AL government were putting their all-out efforts to destabilise the country. The timing of the press conference itself suggests that law and order is in an alarming state and the explanation that the deposed Awami league and their collaborators are responsible for this does not absolve the home adviser and the law enforcement agencies of their failure. When there is an increase in crimes, it is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies to contain the situation and bring the criminals to justice, disregarding their political affiliations, not explaining.
The government needs to own up to its failure, shore up the issues that restrain effective law enforcement and take effective and early measures to improve law and order.
