LAW and order is breaking down. This way, as the media reported, State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar reviewed the situation at a meeting with the members of law enforcing agencies at his ministry last Sunday. The law and order situation, which was some how under control after the arrests of the top JMB leaders, is deteriorating again. Police crime chart says the killings, snatchings, and extortions are on the rise. They say especially the situation is vulnerable in Dhaka. The media reports say that the main reason for the deteriorating law and order situation is election. As the general election is coming nearer, the political parties have started giving shelter to the thugs. The criminals have been brought from outside to take possession of areas to influence the voters. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) performed so far well to contain terrorism by killing the dons of the crime world in 'cross fire' although this is not a good practice. Actually crime can be contained by strong vigilance, enforcement of rule of law and non-discriminatory actions by the authorities concerned. It is generally alleged that in most cases the law enforcers try to overlook the ruling party-backed criminals as these people are patronised by the high-ups in the party. This practice badly affects the morale of the law enforcers. Instead of going for allout measures to contain crime, they take bribe and other benefits from the criminals to spare them or make way for them to remain apparently beyond reach. As the minister himself is worried about the situation, we think the law enforcers would be serious about containing the crime wave in the coming days. Reza Syed Paltan, Dhaka
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