What is the fault of the common people?
We are feeling deeply troubled by the recent events in our country. What happened on May 5, 2006 at Demra on Dhaka-Chittagong highway is an example of it. The country is suffering from water, power and gas scarcity; we sympathise with those who are most affected by it and demand that the government solve the problem immediately. But at the same time we could not accept the behaviour of the demonstrating people. The agitators have no right to put the common people in a precarious situation, thousands of passengers became stranded, they got very frightened by the war like atmosphere and were at their wit's end. Their miseries knew no bounds. The agitators damaged many vehicles, damaged a patrol and CNG filling station and looted goods and cash money, set fire to a shop. These sorts of actions are not acceptable. What right do they have to destroy private and public property?
Water, gas and electricity scarcity is not a new problem. From time to time under different governments people suffered from it but they did not become violent. The protestors showed empty buckets and lanterns; sometimes they seized the WASA and PDB office. But they never resorted to this sort of violent and destructive actions.
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