MUNTAKIM SAAD

A spate of killings, especially some targeted ones involving the use of firearms at crowded places in broad daylight, has stirred fresh concerns about the state of law and order as the country prepares for the national election.

Although Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury insists there is “no risk” of deterioration before the February polls, crime analysts believe the election itself is one of the factors behind the disturbing trend.

Illegal firearms, weak policing, and reactivation of top criminals released after last year’s political changeover are mainly driving the killings, the analysts said.

They added that political rivalries, factional feuds, turf wars, and the use of gangs to assert influence ahead of the election are further fuelling targeted attacks and armed violence nationwide.

With the election schedule expected next week, candidates of major political parties have already begun campaigning informally. Violent protests and clashes over the parties’ choices have also been reported. Confrontations between activists of rival parties have occurred at some places.

Against this backdrop, a series of shocking attacks and killings in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna and elsewhere, has raised questions about public safety.

In one of these incidents, the assailants even shot and injured a rickshaw-puller for refusing to speed up as the attackers were fleeing after gunning down local Jubo Dal leader Golam Kibria in the capital’s Pallabi area on November 17. A CCTV footage of the attackers firing at

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