RAB and mass arrests

The BNP led government has not failed to understand the problems. Its heart has been full of goodness for the country. But its head has never been in tandem with its heart.

Everybody agrees that our main problem is law and order, which has been deteriorating. The PM herself led on this issue from the front and her first initiatives resulted in the long arm of the law falling upon her own party to a large extent. But then when she had the situation under control, the head went in different direction and the army and the para-military who were doing a great job were given the immunity on custodial deaths. The initiative then fizzled and the criminals made up more than they had lost while the army and the para-military had them on the run.

Now the government has, being prompted again by the heart, decided to bring RAB and mass arrests to tackle the law and order issue. While criminals are being nabbed, many are being killed at the hands of RAB who have this time been given no immunity but have the government's approval in what they are doing. I guess the government thinks that the end justifies the means and that the RAB action would rid the society of the criminals and the people would in the end rejoice. For the government's sake, I wish the solution were that easy, but it is not. The criminals being killed would be replaced as quickly for RAB has no authority of going after those who sustain the criminals, the political godfathers. In the end, our donors will come back at us on human rights when the aid issue comes up at the next Aid Consortium Meeting.

The same goes for the issue of mass arrests upon which your excellent editorial of October 9 has been written. This government needs to put its head and heart together, if it intends to do anything worthwhile for the nation.