More than one and a half months have elapsed since the brutal rape and murder of Sohagi Jahan Tanu, a history student of Government Victoria University College in Comilla. Police failed to arrest any one in connection with the murder. It seems that attempts are being made to hush up the incident. It is very unfortunate to note that such grisly murders are occurring in the country with impunity. Tanu, daughter of an ordinary employee of Comilla Cantonment Board, was murdered by hoodlums on March 20 while she was returning home from the residence of her student. A cultural-minded girl and a theatre activist, Tanu was earning to meet her educational expenses.
The murder sparked off widespread protests throughout the country, including the capital city. Processions, human chains and strikes in educational institutions were observed demanding exemplary punishment for the killers. The murder has triggered many questions. How can an innocent girl like Tanu be brutally murdered inside the secured cantonment area? Who are the killer/s? Are they powerful enough and out of touch of the law enforcement agencies? A number of murders in recent times have sent chill down the spine of the law abiding and peace-loving people. The double murders at Kalabagan in the capital, the murder of Rajshahi University’s English department Professor Rezaul Karim Siddiqui and the murder of a tailor in Tangail. These murders speak volumes of the sense of insecurity gripping the lives of common people throughout the country.
Is it for which the independence of the country was achieved more than four decades ago at the cost of blood of three million martyrs and at the honour of two lakh women? What message does the spate of killings give? Dark forces are committing the murders one after another. The apparent inaction by the members of the law enforcement agency sets a conscious person to thinking what an anarchy is going on in a civilised society like ours. Are we heading for barbarism?
It is quite unfortunate to note that people of the country are waiting to see more mind-boggling incidents in the future instead of encouraging ones. It seems that people of various segments of life are growing intolerant day by day. All human qualities seem to heave taken a back seat. There are scant respects for human values, rule of law, and for others’ rights.
Intolerance has taken over piety and forbearance.   Scant regard for rule of law, lack of mutual respect, unbridled greed for amassing wealth and prosperity by foul means, mad race for establishing dominance in society, politics devoid of principle and ethics have led to such incidents.
Buyers are bullied and cheated and are held hostage in the hands of dishonest traders. Traders of fish, fruits, vegetables, sweetmeats and other food items are cheating innocent buyers almost every day. They all are playing havoc with the lives of the innocent people. The consumers are helpless victims as they have no other alternative.  They are becoming victims of violation of human rights in an abominable way. People belonging to other professions are no better in matters of exercising restraints. Had they done so, things would not have taken violent turns triggering public sufferings. There are incidents of violation of human rights every now and then without rhyme or reason. Our doctors behave violently, our lawyers act unjustifiably, our teachers play truant, our businessmen resort to deceitful means, our political leaders do not keep commitment, the activists of the students wings of political parties are being used in criminal activities, including murders.  
It has become the norms of the time to forge ahead elbowing out others who are in the mad race for acquisition of wealth and prosperity. Here personal interest comes above the interests of the state. On the other hand, image of law enforcers, particularly RAB, has taken a beating after the grisly seven murders committed in Narayanganj and a number of incidents in the recent past. According to many, unholy nexus between criminals and a section of people belonging to the law enforcing agency has contributed to spurt in crimes in the country recently. They will have to restore the past image in the greater interest of the country and for establishing the rule of law.
What about our doctors, nourished and groomed up at the taxpayers’ money? Have they not earned considerable notoriety by behaving irresponsibly and staying away from their duty at different hospitals in the country recently, leaving scores of innocent patients to immense sufferings? Some of them have even gone to the extent of assaulting journalists for projecting the facts. Incidents of mob justice are on the rise recently. A section of overenthusiastic people with criminal propensity become instrumental in this kind of heinous act. If an incident takes place somewhere, the agitated activists of the perpetrators go on the rampage. They damage cars and other vehicles one after another in a wild frenzy although the owners of the cars and other vehicles are not responsible for the incident. This is the worst kind of violation of human rights.
Most of our politicians do not do clean politics. They ‘patronize’ musclemen to work in their favour.  People having millions of taka with questionable past and criminal background are entering politics and in some cases are becoming public representatives. They are polluting the politics of the country; they are doing more harm than good. They go on a spree of looting with the connivance of their mentors. They gain and their ‘bosses’ also gain.  How can the people expect from these people? Many years ago a hardened criminal was found hiding at the residence of a full minister. Police, however, managed to arrest him with the consent of the then home minister. The incident was very much ‘embarrassing’ for the minister.
Every responsible citizen of the state should cultivate a culture of honesty, integrity, tolerance and respect for others’ rights for building a peaceful country and a harmonious society. There is no substitute for rooting out terrorism from the soil of Bangladesh. If peaceful environment persists in the country, local and foreign investors will come forward to set up industries. This will create employment opportunity for the jobless people on the one hand and strengthen the economy of the country on the other. It is high time for the government to take stringent measures for identifying the killers and bringing them to justice.    

The writer is a senior journalist at
the Independent