Proactive policing could avert the Kalihati incident
According to media reports at least three people were killed as police fired on demonstrators on Friday in Kalihati upazila under Tangail district. The demonstrators were protesting an alleged barbaric assault on a woman of the locality. The people of the locality were naturally agitated as the administration showed little interest in taking action against the perpetrators of this act even three days after the incident. What really stoked the emotion of the people was the fact that the unfortunate woman was tortured in front of her son. The woman felt so humiliated that she attempted suicide and is now undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
According to the law of the land nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands and disrupt public life. And it is the responsibility of the police to restore order and save life and property. However we have to say when emotions and passions are inflamed the administration has to take measures that have a calming effect on the public. Clearly this was not done in this case.
Not only did the authorities fail to take action against the alleged criminals, the police responded in a very highhanded manner in response to the protesting public. Most reports confirm that the protest was not of a violent nature until the police swooped on the gathered people. Apparently there was no attempt on the part of the police to pacify the victim or her family members and enraged people of the locality. The police, as is well known, can shoot only if the provocation is extreme. Ironically, in this case it was only when the police opened fire and a one of the demonstrators were killed that things started to go out of control. We know in these circumstances usually the anti-social elements try to take advantage of the situation and create anarchy. If the police were proactive and tried to assuage the enraged feelings things would not have deteriorated to such an extent.
We want the government to investigate the matter and ensure exemplary punishment to those responsible if it is proved that the police applied excessive force. Certain quarters tried to cast aspersions on the character of the victim. This is almost invariably done when a women is tortured or raped. The concerned authorities must find out the guilty ones and bring them to justice. Justice must be visible for it to have a deterrent effect and if people can see that justice is being done their respect for the rule of law will increase.
