The “jungle society” killing that should not have happened

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Nadeem Qadir
Published : 21:42, Jul 01, 2019 | Updated : 21:48, Jul 01, 2019

Nadeem QadirThe CCTV footage of a young man being hacked to death by machete-weilding thugs in Barguna district did not only cross all levels of brutality, but it could have been a horror movie that could win an award in a jungle society only.
Let us not feel overwhelmed by shock and emotions, and instead focus on how these thugs could think that they could murder anyone in broad day light and get away. If we can work out the answer, then there would be no such thugs in Bangladesh.
This thug Nayan, who is known as 007 Bond, repeatedly attacked the 25-year-old Rifat until he was sure that his victim was dead------ all for no great cause, but over a girl, whose relationship with the two men in question has been questioned in the social media. One clip that I got suggested that the girl had set a trap to kill Rifat. Let us also probe this matter.
Nayan, has been in and out of jail for various crimes, including drug peddling. The question is how he managed to get free after being arrested for crimes for which many others would spend time in jail.
His gang is known as the “BOND” and the residents of Barguna have been living with it as they have no choice. Resistance meant death. I would not dare to resist such a thug unless I was a thug myself. The young lover boy who was killed over a girl went wrong. He thought getting married to her would end any issue linked to his girl and the thug, without ensuring his own security.
Thus if I want to resist a thug, apparently I have to go down to his low level and form my own gang to live in this society which is almost a jungle.
It is due to a handful of powerful people who we blame for patronising such thugs. There are good and bad people everywhere and in every profession. These people change their political colours year after year, and continue to pollute our society.
Rifat Sharif, 25, was hacked to death to death in broad daylight in front of his wife in Barguna on Wednesday (Jun 26).These thugs and their patrons do not love anybody and definitely not the country which is giving them all they have including the power they wield.
The footage of the attack went viral and immediately my Bangladesh smelled foul and looked ugly. The world outside labelled us as having a savage society where criminals get away thanks to their power, influence and money.
They tarnish the image of the country and everyone living here is looked upon as members of a savage society unfit to be with those in the civilised countries.
What is sad that at a time when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is leaving no stone unturned to change the face of Bangladesh, these elements are ruining our country, our future and being ungrateful to the martyrs of 1971 and also to the premier.
It is laughable and condemnable when local police appear to have woken up suddenly and telling journalists that they were on the lookout for the BOND gang members. Can we not ask the local police what have they been doing about Nayan after he emerged as the all powerful 007 BOND? Why they did not take steps to stop the apparent killing when it was a talk of the town? The questions would never end because these thugs who either threaten or pay to keep law enforcers at bay. But why should they bow down to the handful of powerful men in the guise of “good men the society.” Police must turn around and prove their love for the country as well as commitment to the government’s efforts in ensuring security to the life and property of the people. We will support the policemen who will fight for justice and stand by him the people like Rifat.
The police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) should list and kill these lawbreakers with evidence of their crimes. These people and cohorts like Nayan do not need court trials as they manage to get out of jail as their cases take a long time to reach the point of a final judgement.
The saner society is much bigger than these insane thugs and BONDS. In every city, town and village the saner people should unite to resist these anti-state elements or suffer a slow and a painful death. Do we want that kind of death?
The young man in Barguna died a painful death, while all the insane people shamelessly stood by watching the season’s best horror movie live. Then they rated it as a “horror movie” or “brutal,” before going back to their homes leaving the thugs to plan another live show.
If the majority of the saner part of the society stand up and protest, then these thugs and their patronisers as well then they would die a slow and painful death without being able to murder people like Rifat.
People in general whom this author spoke to were of the opinion that many such incidents were possibly taking place but never reported due to illegal muscle, money and power. Only a small percentage gets reported due to fear and in the case of a woman it was social taboos.
Head of the state’s Human Rights Commission has admitted that it was the culture of impunity that has turned pour society into a jungle. Then the laws should be jungle laws too.
End the culture of impunity for law enforcing agencies, corrupt bureaucrats and so called politicians, who should be tried publicly and executed, nothing else as they are like painful boils in our society.
Award the good crime fighters and let us get rid the societal evils before it is too late.

Nadeem Qadir is the Consulting Editor, Daily Sun and a UN Dag Hammarskjöld fellow.

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***The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions and views of Bangla Tribune.
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