A COUPLE of advisers to the interim government, which has yet to clearly define its tenure, reforms agenda and the terms of reference of the government installed after the downfall of the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina, have聽 already given a reaction that is reflective of an apparent resent when they have been asked about the issues. The citizens have the right to know what is up on the platter of the new government. Yet, what appears nonplussing is what the home affairs adviser said on August 11. The adviser, M Sakhawat Hossain, a retired brigadier general, at a briefing at the secretariat has sternly spoken against the illegal occupation of structures such as party offices of the Awami League now left abandoned, extortion from transports on roads, from shopkeepers at markets, from vehicles at landing stations and jetties and from vendors on the footpath that Awami League people had been involved in. This is praiseworthy, especially in view of attending to the long-standing menace that have dogged public life. But what is worrying about the adviser鈥檚 remark is that he has said that he has requested the army chief to leave the illegal occupiers and extortionists with broken legs.
The army and its chief are under the defence adviser and what he has said, apparently because he is a former army officer, can well be construed, in the first pace, as his overstepping the bounds of his jurisdiction or trespassing the jurisdiction of others. The people, of whatever political affiliation, engaged in such menace should, of course, be punished. But it should happen in keeping with the law. He would, rather, ask the law enforcers to deter such people from committing the crimes, take them to the court of law and the court would duly punish them after trial. Anything beyond this, or leaving the perpetrators with broken legs, would amount to an arbitrary action that is not in sync with the law. The home affairs adviser at a briefing during a visit to the Rajarbagh Police Hospital earlier in the day has warned the media against sycophancy and said that he would close the media houses that would indulge in the sycophancy of the government. Although he has apologised the next day for having said this, the way he thinks, manifest in the remark, also bears the undercurrents of arbitrary action. What has happened in July鈥揂ugust that has paved the way for the interim government has been, in fact, resistance, and a fight, against the arbitrariness that the Awami League government had carried to an unbearable point in 15 years of its authoritarian rule.
The government must stop menace and crimes of whatever nature, but the means must be in keeping with the democratic values and the justice dispensation system. The government must ask the law enforcement agencies to stand stringently against any crimes and offences and use the legal system for punishment. As for media houses, the government should consider setting up a media complaints commission and lay out some principles to decide what media houses can do and what they cannot. There is no room for arbitrariness.
