Burnt to death!

By MA Tareq, Dhaka
5 October 2004, 18:00 PM
Three people were burnt to death! The incident took place at night on September 26, 2004, on the city's Free School Street. They could be robbers but they were humans, after all. This has become the custom to express the anger of the agitated public on the hijackers/muggers. I do not want to refresh your memories about those incidents rather my concern is somewhere else. The cameramen of different private TV channels could reach the spot and video the public kicking the culprits. Then where were the policemen who were supposed to be on duty? Where were the RAB and the members of other law enforcing agencies that have been deployed round the city to detain the public under Section 54? In an interview on September 27, 2004, an ex-IGP said, "Sometimes it becomes difficult for the police to reach the victims in time and to rescue them." An excuse, after all. Are those people more agitated than the pickets during hartals, or the students who have just lost their friend in a road accident?

No, I'm not supporting those ill-fated robbers, rather trying to protect us. The same can happen to anyone. If, for instance, someone on the street, pointing towards you yells, 'Hijacker', take a deep breath and think "what might happen to you." So, "Dear policemen, please get to the victims in time".