Police atrocities
S.M.Zaberul Islam, Kamal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka
Because of busy work schedule it was not easy for us to enjoy the Test matches between Bangladesh and Australia. So we had to depend on newspaper or online, which partially fulfilled our enjoyment. This was the 2nd day of 2nd Test cricket match. I was searching different newspapers' online versions to get the details of the 1st day. But what was it? There was no news on sports. Instead of any memorable moment of the first day, there was a photo where a policeman was punching an old man and in the next photo the old man was on the ground, several young policemen attacked him. The photo hurt me a lot. I can't express it in language. In detailed news I see that the old man is a photojournalist, and about 25 journalists were injured in this police attack.Last week our eye was on KANSAT, where people were fighting for electricity. In exchange of their blood, they established their rights. Here also the main villain was the police. They attacked the general people, looted their houses and forced them to leave. At least 20 people were killed in this case. Considering these two news reports, some questions come to my mind. Is their any record around the world where 20 people were killed just for electricity, are we living in an independent country? Why police attacked journalists? Have they forgotten the contribution of the media to development of our cricket team? What types of people are appointed in police? Do these people have morality or common sense? ***Thanks to the electronic media now we can follow all daily events in Bangladesh. The recent events in Kansat and tragic loss of life touched me very deeply. Police atrocities remind us how far we are from practice of democracy in our behaviour. Police excesses in Chittagong Stadium on the unarmed journalists, who were there for performing professional duties, stunned the whole world. We, the expatriates from Bangladesh residing in different corners of the globe, are waiting to see what action our present democratic government takes in this respect. Dr M.M Islam, On e-mail ***Barbaric assault on the journalists at the stadium in Chittagong reinforced the fact that the police have still been in the colonial frame of mind that is vividly reflected in their activities. They haven't conformed to the postcolonial norms of free thoughts and the democratic fabric of society. That police officer's action on the elderly person was simply demonic that revealed their corrupt and colonial mindset. Their brutality that day was more than medieval and such acts are a common phenomenon these days. The brutal attack not only defamed the whole system, it also put the whole nation to shame. The whole world watched the awesome act. It is regrettable that despite violation of human rights and putting the nation to shame no tough measure has been taken against the culprits. We strongly condemn the barbaric act by the police and demand stern and exemplary punishment to the persons responsible for it. Rafiqul Islam Rime, Agrabad, Chittagong
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