Rights activists have criticised home adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for his denial of the deterioration in law and order situation in the country at an emergency press briefing at his residence in the capital Dhaka early Monday.
The home adviser denied allegations of worsening security condition at the press briefing held at about聽聽 3:00am on Monday, prompting a spate of criticisms from right activists.
The press conference at dead of night rather reflected the situation getting alarming, they observed, adding that it was a matter of concern that the adviser was not admitting the fact.
They argued that the government鈥檚 denial of the growing lawlessness undermined the reality of escalating violence, particularly against women, and the overall deterioration in public safety.
They said that the law and order situation was worsening and the government should accept the reality and take effective measures without continuing the culture of denial they saw in the fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted by a student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024.
Maleka Banu, general secretary of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, expressed her concern over the growing violence, particularly against women, pointing out that there was no sign of the government taking meaningful action to address these issues.
It was a matter of concern that he was not admitting that the situation was worsening, she added.
鈥楾here is no scope for talking about improvement in the law and order situation when women continue to be victims of violence, and no visible efforts are being made to control this,鈥� she said while talking to 抖阴精品.
She added that public confidence in law enforcement agencies was at an all-time low, with an increasing sense of disorder across the country.
Economist Anu Muhammad, a former professor at Jahangirnagar University, echoed these concerns, describing the law and order situation as 鈥榓larming鈥�.
He pointed at the country鈥檚 regression from the ideals of the July uprising and compared the current administration鈥檚 denial of failure with the fascist tactics of the previous government under Sheikh Hasina.
鈥楾he interim government under Professor Yunus is following the same culture of denial as the regime it replaced,鈥� he added.
Home adviser retired Lieutenant General M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury early Monday said that the deposed Awami League was responsible for the deterioration in the law and order situation and alleged that the collaborators of the fascist AL government were putting their all-out efforts to destabilise the country.
鈥楢wami League people smuggled out a lot of money to foreign countries and now they are using that money to destabilise the country,鈥� he told an emergency press conference at his house at Baridhra DOHS in the capital.
Faruq Faisel, executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, said that public safety was now a pressing concern for ordinary citizens.
鈥楶eople do not feel safe, and while government officials are speaking a lot about improvements, there is no actual implementation of these claims,鈥� Faisel remarked.
He expressed hope that the government would take immediate action to rectify the existing bad situation.
Kazi Reazul Haque, former chairman of the Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission, said that numerous crimes were being committed in the absence of effective measures.
Even the government officials have acknowledged the situation directly or indirectly, he said.
鈥楾he government should impartially apprehend the criminals and bring them to justice following laws. However, care should be taken that mob violence does not occur in the process of arresting the criminals,鈥� he said.
The former bureaucrat also said, 鈥業f the government tries, it is not impossible to control the law and order situation. We hope that if the government makes a sincere effort, law and order will come under control.鈥�
Jahangir Alam Chowdhury held the press conference a few hours after Dhaka University students held protest processions on the campus, demanding his resignation.
He, however, claimed he had taken measures to improve the situation soon and then the demand for his resignation would be muted.
Later after a meeting at his office in the secretariat in Dhaka, Jahangir again said that the law and order situation was now satisfactory.
