The government yesterday announced a number of steps, including Tk 1 lakh reward each for helping law enforcers arrest troublemakers, to contain political violence, while the ruling alliance vowed to keep attackers at bay with its political might. Setting arrest of arsonists its top priority, the government decided to intensify the ongoing nationwide drive to arrest arsonists and attackers. The de
cisions came at a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order at the home ministry. Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, who heads the committee, chaired the meeting convened against the backdrop of a spate of violence since the BNP-led combine's non-stop blockade began on January 6. The meeting decided that all lawmakers would take initiatives to check violence in their constituencies and involve constituents in the efforts. The MPs would be given instructions soon. Besides, representatives from pro-liberation and democratic political parties would be included in law and order committees in districts and upazilas to engage more people in combating violence. A control room would be set up in the capital to gather information on attackers. Until then, the control room of Dhaka Metropolitan Police would be used for the purpose, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan told The Daily Star. Advertisement At least 26 people died in political violence since the BNP-led 20-party alliance announced the non-stop blockade on January 5. Of the victims, 16 had no links with any political party. At yesterday's meeting, police officials said most attackers belong to the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami. They are hiring people without any political affiliation for carrying out arson attacks, and are making payments through bKash. Citing information extracted from the arrestees, the officials said a hired man is paid Tk 2,000 for blasting a crude bomb, Tk 10,000 for hurling a bomb at a vehicle and Tk 20,000 for killing anyone by an arson attack. The committee endorsed recruitment of more police and purchase of new vehicles for the police force to increase its capacity to tackle violence. In line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's announcement in parliament Tuesday, the ruling Awami League along with its allies will form committees in every village to combat violence. Local AL leaders would head the committees that would include leaders of components of the ruling 14-party alliance, freedom fighters and teachers, Barisal-4 lawmaker Pankaj Devnath told this correspondent. SM Jaglul Haider, lawmaker of Sathkhira-4, said he already received instructions to form committees in his constituency. “I am in the capital to attend the current parliament session. I will go back to my constituency soon and form committees.” At yesterday's meeting, the cabinet body blasted the BNP for “hiring people to carry out hit-and-run attacks”, and said such acts of violence would be contained in a few days. Claiming a fall in frequency of hit-and-run attacks, it said those would come down to zero once all attackers are arrested. Amu expressed displeasure at what he said was the BNP-Jamaat alliance's unhealthy political culture of hiring people to carry out attacks. “What sort of politics is this? What is the meaning of politics if demands can be met by hurling petrol bombs and killing people? he asked. The senior AL leader feared such culture would jeopardise politics in the country. Amu announced Tk 1 lakh reward for anyone giving information that would lead to arrest of a troublemaker. He said 7,015 BNP and Jamaat men were arrested from the scenes of attacks and nearby places in the last 15 days. Criticising the media's role, Amu said the fact that 50,000 vehicles plied during the blockade was mentioned only once in the media. But the burning of a vehicle by a petrol bomb was telecast for two to three days, causing panic among people. According to meeting sources, ministers and representatives of law enforcement agencies claimed the blockade has been ineffective, and the situation will be normal in the next few days. Chiefs of police, Rab, BGB and Ansar highlighted the roles the forces played to contain blockade violence, added the sources.
No comments:
Post a Comment