Police should to be cautious about acting as party workers of the government

A very bizarre and unwholesome trend has developed in recent days in Bangladesh politics. On September 28, the BNP announced fresh programmes for the next two months as part of its plan to continue with the pace of its ongoing movement against the government. It declared to hold mass rallies in the divisional cities of the country one by one to press home their demands, prior to the holding of the national election by the end of the year 2023.

As it appears, the ruling party seems to be hell-bent on their efforts to prevent the BNP workers and activists on their way to the place of gathering so that they cannot lead the protests.
When the BNP began its programme to lead mass rallies in the port city of Chattogram on October 10, Awami League activists beat the BNP men and vandalised their vehicles on their way to the city from different districts. Yet the BNP held a crowded mass rally there.

Similarly, before the rally in Mymensingh city on October 15, AL-backed transport owners took their buses off the roads. Even then, protesters entered the city in processions from different places including the capital. Media reports say police sued 400 BNP men in connection with violence centering the Mymensingh rally.

The next venue and timing for the mass rally is Khulna city tomorrow (Saturday). A section of Khulna transport owners on Wednesday again announced that they would not operate their buses in the Khulna region for 40 hours from October 21, apparently to create obstacles for the BNP men to join the mass rally. In a healthy democracy, opposition is necessary, and this is allowed following certain norms. But creating obstacles to joining rallies as is done by the AL-backed transport workers is deplorable indeed.

This trend clearly reflects that the Awami League is afraid of the mass protest against the government’s incompetence to the crisis of the people’s economic miseries. The people are joining BNP rallies for a change of government proved incapable of looking after the people’s interests. Awami League make millionaires but the rest of the people are left to themselves to struggle for survival. Awami League government was for Awami Leaguers.

By sending bureaucrats and police officers recently into forced retirements, the government is trying to create an atmosphere of intimidation in the administration and police so that they act in its favour in the forthcoming election.

What is not accepted is that the police are used as party workers of the government.