Print: 29 Oct 2025
Photo: Screengrab
The country is grappling with a worsening law and order, with violent crimes taking place frequently across the country despite the interim government's repeated assurances.
The recent incident in the capital's Rampura has only reinforced public fears that the law and order situation remains far from normal, even though nearly seven months have passed since the fall of the autocratic Awami League regime.
Let’s delve into the Rampura incident: It was a fairly ordinary Sunday night with street vendors wrapping up for the day, and late-night commuters riding the streets. But for Anwar Hossain, a local jewellery shop owner, it turned into a nightmare he never saw coming. As he was making his way home with a bag stuffed with 200 bhoris of gold ornaments and cash, upon him came seven armed men on motorcycles.
As he resisted, his defiance was met with bullets. The robbers shot him in both legs, and then disappeared into the dark, leaving him bleeding profusely on sidewalk. Footage of the incident was unleashed online in hours, immediately creating a wave of resentment and fear among the civilians.
This was no simple robbery. It was a manifestation of something graver — a law-and-order crisis that has shaken Bangladesh to its core.
The government has kept assuring us, and the ongoing joint-forces drive, "Operation Devil Hunt," is in full swing to take down criminals, but crime has barely reduced. Ordinary citizens ask today: are we really safe? And more importantly, is the government doing enough to stem the tide of lawlessness?
The Rampura attack could not have come at a worse time for the interim government. With enormous pressure being mounted against it, the situation compelled the authorities to contain the fury of the public in double-quick time. Immediately, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury blamed the ousted Awami League (AL) for the widening unrest, claiming that the party is using the huge funds -- it looted during its long years in power -- to fuel unrest in the country and destabilise the present government.
At an emergency press conference in the early hours of Monday, the home adviser delivered a stark warning: those trying to create chaos would find "no safe place."
The home adviser's accusing AL and its cohorts of creating chaos is definitely based on valid grounds. For instance, in a recently leaked audio, AL leader and former Gazipur City Corporation mayor Jahangir Alam could be heard making veiled threats, saying as long as AL men cannot walk freely in Dhaka during day times, they will not let anyone in the capital sleep peacefully at night.
For many, this was a chilling confirmation of what they had long suspected: elements of the ousted regime were actively working against the stability of the nation. However, while these claims may hold weight, they do not absolve the current government of its fundamental responsibility -- ensuring public safety.
Public patience is wearing thin. Students from Dhaka University and Rajshahi University have taken to the streets, demanding the resignation of the home adviser. Their message is clear: words and promises are no longer enough. They gave the government until Monday afternoon to take decisive action -- if not, they warned, direct action would follow.
It is all very well for the government to claim that law enforcement efforts are being increased, but the reality on the ground is that violent crimes, robberies and abductions continue to keep the people on the streets in fear. The frustration is therefore justified.
Adding to the dilemma in the ongoing security plight is the intra-force divisions of loyalties. Many of these officers have been recruited by the previous AL administration and are now suspected of being beholden to their erstwhile political godfathers. Their unwillingness, or in some extreme cases, refusal, to perform their duties has raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the very forces meant to protect the citizens.
This presents a major test for the current regime. In the case where rogue elements within law enforcement are allowed to thrive, virtually no amount of security policy will be effective. The solution, though harsh, may point towards periodic purges, leading to the removal of officers unwilling or incapable of performing their jobs with detachment. The government needs to prove, for the sake of renewing its own credibility, that the law applies not just to criminals, but also to those that enforce it.
While the focus has been on government-led enforcement, there is another, often overlooked, component of security -- community involvement. This is not a problem that can be solved by policing alone; ordinary citizens must work at securing their neighbourhoods themselves.
Probably the best-conceived unique initiative would be the formation of local volunteering community-led security groups working in partnership with law enforcement agencies to report suspicions of crimes and deter those before they take place. These initiatives have shown in other countries that they can turn the tide for Bangladesh. The government will however need to empower the community with appropriate resources and, most importantly, trust for this to work.
The collapse of the AL regime, hailed as a victory for democracy, has now given way to fresh political fractures. The unity seen during the July revolution has begun to wane, with some such former allies have turned their arms against each other. To prevent the country from slipping into deeper chaos, the anti-fascist and democratic political forces that took the centre stage of the July revolution should not allow the very hard-earned national unity to disintegrate into petty fights over power. They must hold to the common goal -- building a more secure, stable country. All the bickering would only serve to undermine and compromise much of the revolution they fought for.
In order to make the streets safe for the people, the government must adopt a multiplicious approach that should logically entail the consideration of the following:
"Operation Devil Hunt" must continue with stricter oversight to ensure its effectiveness while preventing human rights abuses.
Law enforcement officers and civil servants with known political affiliations to the former regime should be reassessed and, if necessary, removed. Citizen-led security groups should be introduced in urban and suburban areas, working alongside law enforcement. The forces that led the July Revolution must put aside differences and reaffirm their commitment to national stability. Government officials must be held accountable for security failures. There can be no tolerance for negligence or incompetence.
To sum up, the fall of the AL dictatorship was meant to usher in a new era of democracy, stability and security. Yet, as the Rampura robbery and numerous other incidents of crimes and violence that have occurred in different parts of the country recently illustrate, the promise of change remains fragile. The government cannot afford to be reactive—it must anticipate, prevent and neutralise threats before they escalate. Citizens must not only be assured of their safety but must see tangible actions proving that their security is the top priority of the government.
The writer is News Editor of the Daily Sun. Email: [email protected]
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Growing anxiety over security lapses across country — what’s to be done?
Photo: Screengrab
The country is grappling with a worsening law and order, with violent crimes taking place frequently across the country despite the interim government's repeated assurances.
The recent incident in the capital's Rampura has only reinforced public fears that the law and order situation remains far from normal, even though nearly seven months have passed since the fall of the autocratic Awami League regime.
Let’s delve into the Rampura incident: It was a fairly ordinary Sunday night with street vendors wrapping up for the day, and late-night commuters riding the streets. But for Anwar Hossain, a local jewellery shop owner, it turned into a nightmare he never saw coming. As he was making his way home with a bag stuffed with 200 bhoris of gold ornaments and cash, upon him came seven armed men on motorcycles.
As he resisted, his defiance was met with bullets. The robbers shot him in both legs, and then disappeared into the dark, leaving him bleeding profusely on sidewalk. Footage of the incident was unleashed online in hours, immediately creating a wave of resentment and fear among the civilians.
This was no simple robbery. It was a manifestation of something graver — a law-and-order crisis that has shaken Bangladesh to its core.
The government has kept assuring us, and the ongoing joint-forces drive, "Operation Devil Hunt," is in full swing to take down criminals, but crime has barely reduced. Ordinary citizens ask today: are we really safe? And more importantly, is the government doing enough to stem the tide of lawlessness?
The Rampura attack could not have come at a worse time for the interim government. With enormous pressure being mounted against it, the situation compelled the authorities to contain the fury of the public in double-quick time. Immediately, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury blamed the ousted Awami League (AL) for the widening unrest, claiming that the party is using the huge funds -- it looted during its long years in power -- to fuel unrest in the country and destabilise the present government.
At an emergency press conference in the early hours of Monday, the home adviser delivered a stark warning: those trying to create chaos would find "no safe place."
The home adviser's accusing AL and its cohorts of creating chaos is definitely based on valid grounds. For instance, in a recently leaked audio, AL leader and former Gazipur City Corporation mayor Jahangir Alam could be heard making veiled threats, saying as long as AL men cannot walk freely in Dhaka during day times, they will not let anyone in the capital sleep peacefully at night.
For many, this was a chilling confirmation of what they had long suspected: elements of the ousted regime were actively working against the stability of the nation. However, while these claims may hold weight, they do not absolve the current government of its fundamental responsibility -- ensuring public safety.
Public patience is wearing thin. Students from Dhaka University and Rajshahi University have taken to the streets, demanding the resignation of the home adviser. Their message is clear: words and promises are no longer enough. They gave the government until Monday afternoon to take decisive action -- if not, they warned, direct action would follow.
It is all very well for the government to claim that law enforcement efforts are being increased, but the reality on the ground is that violent crimes, robberies and abductions continue to keep the people on the streets in fear. The frustration is therefore justified.
Adding to the dilemma in the ongoing security plight is the intra-force divisions of loyalties. Many of these officers have been recruited by the previous AL administration and are now suspected of being beholden to their erstwhile political godfathers. Their unwillingness, or in some extreme cases, refusal, to perform their duties has raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the very forces meant to protect the citizens.
This presents a major test for the current regime. In the case where rogue elements within law enforcement are allowed to thrive, virtually no amount of security policy will be effective. The solution, though harsh, may point towards periodic purges, leading to the removal of officers unwilling or incapable of performing their jobs with detachment. The government needs to prove, for the sake of renewing its own credibility, that the law applies not just to criminals, but also to those that enforce it.
While the focus has been on government-led enforcement, there is another, often overlooked, component of security -- community involvement. This is not a problem that can be solved by policing alone; ordinary citizens must work at securing their neighbourhoods themselves.
Probably the best-conceived unique initiative would be the formation of local volunteering community-led security groups working in partnership with law enforcement agencies to report suspicions of crimes and deter those before they take place. These initiatives have shown in other countries that they can turn the tide for Bangladesh. The government will however need to empower the community with appropriate resources and, most importantly, trust for this to work.
The collapse of the AL regime, hailed as a victory for democracy, has now given way to fresh political fractures. The unity seen during the July revolution has begun to wane, with some such former allies have turned their arms against each other. To prevent the country from slipping into deeper chaos, the anti-fascist and democratic political forces that took the centre stage of the July revolution should not allow the very hard-earned national unity to disintegrate into petty fights over power. They must hold to the common goal -- building a more secure, stable country. All the bickering would only serve to undermine and compromise much of the revolution they fought for.
In order to make the streets safe for the people, the government must adopt a multiplicious approach that should logically entail the consideration of the following:
"Operation Devil Hunt" must continue with stricter oversight to ensure its effectiveness while preventing human rights abuses.
Law enforcement officers and civil servants with known political affiliations to the former regime should be reassessed and, if necessary, removed. Citizen-led security groups should be introduced in urban and suburban areas, working alongside law enforcement. The forces that led the July Revolution must put aside differences and reaffirm their commitment to national stability. Government officials must be held accountable for security failures. There can be no tolerance for negligence or incompetence.
To sum up, the fall of the AL dictatorship was meant to usher in a new era of democracy, stability and security. Yet, as the Rampura robbery and numerous other incidents of crimes and violence that have occurred in different parts of the country recently illustrate, the promise of change remains fragile. The government cannot afford to be reactive—it must anticipate, prevent and neutralise threats before they escalate. Citizens must not only be assured of their safety but must see tangible actions proving that their security is the top priority of the government.
The writer is News Editor of the Daily Sun. Email: [email protected]