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The Fatikchhari Killings
There is no end. it seems, to the lawlessness, terrorism and sequence of murders in Chittagong. Less than two months after four Awamt League workers were mowed down in broad daylignt in Hathazart, three members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League were shot dead Friday last tn the adjacent upazila of Fatikchhari during a party conference. In Doth cases, the attacks bore all the hallmarks of careful planning and ruthless, cold-blooded execution Both incidents were characterised by a total lack of government authority, as the police was conspicuous by its ab sence. Both these acts of murders were politi tally-motivated and part of a systematic campaign to terrorise the region.
According to information gathered from the press and focal observers, there are strong rea sons to suspect that both the outrages may have been committed by armed cadres of the Jamaat e-Islaml in cooperation with those of the National Democratic Party (NDP). Reports from the area also suggest that the terrorists often use halls of residence of Chittagong University, which has been under effective Jamaat "occupation" since December. 1990. as bases. Evidence, as demonstrated by Friday's Incident, proves that the murderers operate with Impunity, moving tn large, heavily-armed groups with little or no interference from the police (It Is no longer credivle to refer to the police as a "law and order” enforcement agency, because those two attributes of a civilised society seem to be no longer their in the upazilas around Chittagong city and University). This situation exists despite a flood of sermons delivered by government leaders, including the Prime Minister, during the past several months.
The evidence from Fatikchhari bring into question whether the government has the political will to establish rule of law in that region. Worse, there does not seem to be anybody in government willing to stand up and take responsibility. even though the minister of home affairs would be the obvious person to be held accountable for a breakdown of law and order in any part of the country. Furthermore, in a parliamentary system like ours, the prime minister, as the head of government, would have to bear the final responsibility for failure of government In any sphere of public life.
What we currently have in Chittagong is a demonstration of incapacity of the government to protect public life. In addition, since the reign of terror is politically-motivated, the government is also failing to ensure freedom of thought and exercise of democratic rights for its citizens. Responsibility for failures of such mangitude cannot simply be dumped on the Officer-in-Charge of Fatikchhari police station. The OC may well point at the lack of direction from the chain of command, through the Superintendent of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong district, to the Inspector General of Police in Dhaka and finally the Minister of Home Affairs.
Yet the situation has gone so fpr. that mere apportioning of blame is no longer enough to arrest the slide towards anarchy. Unless there is a visible and effective move on the part of the Home Ministry and the police to act against the killers of Fatikchhari. Hathazart. Rauzan etc. there will remain the grave danger that the public may develop serious doubt about the efficacy of the system altogether, particularly in the ability and will of the government to ensure security and democratic rights for all. That Is a situation that must be avoided, not only for the safety and well-being of the people of Chittagong, but also for the future of democracy In the country as a whole. The government can only restore public confidence by bringing the terrorists and also their political masters to book, no matter who they may be. It Is not entirely unjustified for ministers to give lectures to the people about their civic responsibilities . but the people also have to feel the effectiveness of government in order to take the sermons seriously.