Photo : Messenger
The escalation of atrocities in heinous crimes such as kidnapping, murder, and rape is deeply alarming. Recent instances have been marked by unimaginable brutality, particularly evident in the torture inflicted upon victims prior to their deaths. Sociologists are increasingly concerned about the implications of these events for political stability. They argue that while direct consequences may not stem from any criminal syndicate, the ongoing social upheaval and violence are likely to have significant adverse effects.
Touhidul Haque, Assistant Professor and Sociologist at the Social Welfare and Research Institute of Dhaka University (DU), expressed concern over the rising incidence of serious crimes such as murder, rape, domestic abuse, fraud, extortion, looting, and embezzlement in the country. He emphasised the urgent need for proactive measures by government authorities and law enforcement agencies to combat crime effectively. Furthermore, he warned that the current crisis could exacerbate due to the erosion of social values, moral decay, weakening social ties, political instability, economic discrimination, and a culture of impunity.
It was reported that on January 21 of this month, the police discovered the bruised body of event manager Tanya Akhtar in a house in Hazaribagh in the capital. Following the incident, Tanya's landlord, who is also a local Awami League leader named Shaheen, became the primary suspect on the police's list and was subsequently apprehended.
Regarding this matter, DC Muhammad Ashraf Hossain of the Ramna Police Division disclosed, "On the day Tania was killed by slitting her throat, Shaheen talked with her on the mobile phone 8 to 10 times before her demise. Their conversations lasted for about 10 to 15 minutes each time." However, Shaheen denied these allegations, leading to his arrest and subsequent remand for further investigation.
In this regard, Hazaribagh Police Station OC Noor Mohammad said that there were injury marks on the victim's neck. They lived as husband and wife in that room. They had no children. Her husband was an expatriate of Dubai. He moved to the country a few months ago.
Saiful Islam alias Russell was brutally tortured on the ground floor of Parveen Tower in Telghat area of South Keraniganj on the night of January 10. In this incident, after the arrest of 12 people including the mastermind Aftab Uddin Rabbi involved in the sensational murder of Russell in Keraniganj, the police said that all the criminals are members of "Abba Bahini". 'Abba Bahini' is another name for this fear. Socially they ruled the area and collected ransom from the people through various forms of justice. No one is willing to open their mouth due to fear of the gang.
On January 23, a security worker of an NGO was beaten to death in Mohammadpur of the capital by one of his colleagues.
When asked, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tejgaon Division of DMP HM Azimul Haque said that security personnel of the incident Akter Hossain approached the victim Jewel Mia who was lying on the south side of the building wrapped in a blanket on the chair with a stick. At one point, the accused Akhter, continued to hit Mia over and over with an iron rod. Jewel fell down on the ground, but Akhter continued to beat him brutally. Later Akhtar took Jewel by the hand and dragged him towards the building's power sub-station room. Even then, Akhtar hit the victim repeatedly with the stick in his hand and went into hiding, ensuring his death. Later the police arrested him.
A bus driver of Milestone School and College brutally tortured and raped a sixth class student in Diabari area of Turag police station. Two people including the driver involved in the incident were arrested by the Turag police station.
Turag Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mustafa Anwar said, said that the student of the sixth standard of Milestone School and College was alone in the bus on the day of the incident. On this occasion, the driver and his accomplice took advantage of this opportunity and caused this incident.
Also, on Saturday, a garment worker publicly beat another worker to death with a stick in Dakshinkhan.
Superintendent of Police (Media and Public Relations) of Police Headquarters Inamul Haque Sagar said that the police are active in suppressing various types of crimes. But nowadays social crime is increasing a bit. To control it, not only the police but people from different sections of the society should come forward and if they see any crime in front of their eyes, they should immediately report it to the concerned police. Only then these crimes will come under control.
Speaking to The Daily Messenger, DMP Joint Commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarkar, clarified that the recent incidents were not instigated by terrorist organisations or criminal gangs. Instead, they were driven by individual anger and personal disputes. He emphasised that there is currently no significant social or political unrest.
Sarkar urged people to exercise caution and restraint to reduce the occurrence of such incidents. He advised individuals to carefully consider the consequences before committing any crime and encouraged them to reflect on the long-term implications of their actions. Additionally, he stressed the importance of seeking legal recourse rather than resorting to revenge or vigilante justice if one feels wronged or aggrieved.
Messenger/Fameema
