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Crime takes on terror proportion

Shariful Islam
Crime waves continue striking terror into entire Bangladesh despite a range of government steps to check the downslide in law and order, one of the election pledges of the four-party alliance government that completes three years in office on Sunday.
With the introduction of a num
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ber of elite crime-busting forces over the last few months a slight improvement has been witnessed but a series of grenade attacks has brought a new dimension in crime creating a deeper sense ofinsecurity among the people.
Crime statistics indicate home ministry's performance in the first three years of BNP-led government's tenure was not satisfactory as its anticrime measures seem to have a little impact on the widespread criminal incidents across the country.
Grenade attacks on political rallies, shrines and cinemas, brutal killings of political leaders and journalists in broad daylight, increased activities of outlaws, extremists and fanatic forces, abduction of businesspeople and retrieval of their shredded bodies are some grisly examples of crime that have overshadowed the anticrime steps.
People are still being haunted by the horrors of grenade attacks on an Awami League (AL) rally on August 21 in Dhaka, a futile attempt on the life of Leader of the Opposition and AL President Sheikh Hasina, that killed 20 people and injured more than 200.
The killings of AL lawmaker Ahsanullah Master (May 7, 2004), Khulna AL leader Monzurul Imam (August 25, 2003) and former AL lawmaker Momtajuddin Ahmed in Natore (June 7, 2004) are still fresh in memory.
Eight major bomb and grenade attacks that left 63 people killed in the last three years sent a chill down the nation's spine. These include bomb and grenade blasts at Shahjalal shrine in January and May and bomb explosions in two cinemas in Sylhet in August.
The grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury in Sylhet on May 21 drew attention of the world community about Bangladesh's vulnerable crime situation.
The retrieval of the bodies of old Dhaka businessman Shamsul Islam and his son Russel Sheikh in 200 pieces and abduction of Chittagong BNP leader and magnate Jamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury worried the business community.
The government enacted speedy trial act and formed speedy trial tribunal, launched Operation Clean Heart and Operation Spiderweb by joint forces and a combing operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts but failed to make significant improvement.
The Operation Clean Heart in 2002, manned by army, police and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) drew widespread criticism for 54 deaths in their custody. The recently launched Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) is also going ahead with the same strategy.
During the Operation Clean Heart army showed reason for deaths in their custody as "heart attacks" while the Rab is saying the criminals are being killed in 'crossfire'.
Crime-busting Rapid Action Team worked for more than a year in Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) area and then the government deployed 'Cobra' and 'Cheetah' drafted with trained policemen to launch a crackdown on the criminals.
Human rights group Odhikar says a total of 111 people were killed in the hands of law enforcers in last nine months of this year. Since Rab hit the street 32 crime suspects including four listed criminals were killedin "crossfire'.
Police sources claimed law and order improved with the arrest and death of top criminals but new gangs are replacing them and taking control of the crime-prone areas.
Speedy Trial Tribunal that the government introduced to ensure swift trial of criminals so far disposed of 470 cases out of 742, sentencing 216 people to death.
In the biggest-ever arms haul on April 2 this year in Chittagong, the police made a chanced seizure of 10 truckloads of rocket launchers, hand grenades, AK-47 rifles and over 18 lakh
bullets. The haul dwarfs the seizure of a mind-boggling 100,000 rifle bullets and 200 kg of explosivesin Bogra.
Till date investigators could not identify or arrest the gunrunners or the mastermind behind such big arms and ammunition hauls that raised many questions about the vulnerable system of vigilance by the law enforcement agencies.
The people in northwestern Bangladesh saw the rise of Bangla Bhai, self-styled operation commander of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) whose fanatic operatives killed at least 15 people sending a terror wave in the region. Prime minister's reported instruction to the police to arrest Bangla Bhaiis yet to be carried out.
Seven journalists were killed and 678 were subjected to repression during the last three years while 1236 otherjournalists given death threat.
On July 24 this year, Chittagong businessman Jamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury was kidnapped. Still no one knows where he is, despite repeated government commitments to rescue him. Four other magnets of the port city were abducted after Jamal.
The grisly incineration of 11 members of a minority family in Banshkhali under Chittagong district in November last year and three of a family in Bagherhat were followed by another attempt to incinerate nine of a family in Jhalakati.
Ten passengers were burnt alive when a BRTC double-decker caught fire in front of Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on June 4 this year. Investigators suspected it as an act of arson but could not yet find any clue.
Some 50 policemen were killed in the last three years while encountering the criminals. Of them, some 20 were killed in shooting and bomb throwing by extremists in Khulna and other districts in the southwestern "valley of death."
In the recent wave of attacks on the law enforcers, two policemen were shot dead in Motijheel on June 20 this year and one constable at Rayerbazar in the capital on July 12.
People's distrust of law enforcers triggered several incidents of killing of suspected criminals in mob beating. The most dreadful incident took place in a remote char (shoal) area of Noakhali when mobs lynched 39 alleged forest banditsin Decemberlast year.
Locals alleged that a ruling BNP legislator had instigated them to engage in the massacre of bandits who established a reign of terror in the seaboard district.
The government however claims law and order has improved a lot. A parliamentary body yesterday said the law and order is much better than in any other time in the past, although statistics show no significant change in the crime scenario.
According to press reports and human rights groups, about 4,500 people were killed in 2003, up from 4,000 a year ago. Home ministry statistics however show 3,503 people were killed in 2002 and 3,550 in 2003.
Police sources said on average 350 people were killed a month from January to June this year. The trend shows a little improvement from July to September when average 300 people were killed, although human rights groups believe the figures are much higher.
The rights groups say 395 people were killed in September, 779 in August and 776 in July across Bangladesh.
The home ministry records also show a total of 1,27,616 crime incidents in 2002 and 1,25,639 in 2003. From January to June this year, on average 10,500 crime incidents occurred a month across the country.