Invisible felons

The court appearance and subsequent bail of two former Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) cadres accused of brandishing and using firearms in an incident in Dhaka on October 27 is indeed a shocker to all. This is unacceptable, as the case had been well-publicised in the media, which in the aftermath of the duo's gangland like appearance in a brawl in Gulistan had run photographs that showed them wielding guns. The matter did not stop here. Faced with widespread criticism, the BCL had expelled the two leaders from its fold, who also happened to be its local office bearers. A case like this, where the crime is evidently manifest and is well publicised, demands a certain degree of sincerity from the part of law enforcing agencies, which has been absent. 

The two accused have managed to walk into a courtroom through the crowded streets of the capital to seek bail and get one. We find no room for taking this lightly. Are we to believe that the police had no prior knowledge of this, especially after their photographs had been published in the leading dailies? 

What importance are we supposed to attach to the police's human intelligence that fails to detect the movements of two wanted offenders in the heart of the house of law? It needs no reminding that it is against the background of such half-hearted approach to contain  hooliganism of party affiliates that new manifestations of such dastardly behaviour come to light at regular intervals?

A proper investigation into the circumstances under which the duo has escaped the police's dragnet should be launched. The law enforcers must not delay any further in bringing the felons to book.