Mass release of muggers

The release of as many as 1,108 mugging suspects on bail in just past three months is sure to cause many an eyebrow to raise. Some of the gory and gruesome murders of innocent people including members of the business community committed by muggers while looting have struck terror into the hearts of the general public. The overall decline in law and order has ever remained a cause for consternation. True, there was a serious breakdown in the chain of command following the July-August uprising with the law enforcement agencies, the police in particular, playing against the people a murderous role. But the interim government should have set a limit to the social chaos and anarchy. Instead, it gave an impression contrary to what was expected after a certain timeline. It deplorably failed on that count, sending a wrong message for the anti-social, criminal elements, militants and even the defeated forces of the 1971 liberation war. 

Sure enough, the mass release of inmates including militants from several prisons hoisted the danger signal but the government's indifferent attitude towards such serious development only encouraged the criminals to carry out their nefarious activities. Admittedly, breakdown of law and order after an uprising or a revolution is a natural consequence. But political sagacity of those whose who are at the helm of affairs should counter such developments methodically and intelligently. The message for the criminals should be unerring that 'thus far and no further'.

Now, the charges framed against the muggers -- charge-sheeted, caught red-handed during mugging or attacking victims and listed during interrogation --seem to have been weak, out of context and even missing the focal points. The investigation process is unduly slow. Defence lawyers can cite loopholes quite easily to get their clients released on bail. Well, lawyers have their duty to do everything to win the cases in favour of their clients. But what about the prosecutors who are supposed to counterargument logics put forward by the defence? Allegations are there that they are not keen in taking up such cases seriously; instead, they are nonchalant and indifferent to fight the cases and put the hardened criminals behind the bar.

What happens in the process is that the criminals are treated as suspects allowing them to walk out of the prison. Earlier, the nexus of self-seeking political coteries, prison staff, agents and other social parasites enjoyed a chummy relationship because of the awful situation created over the years. Speed money and underhand dealings thrives under such a regime. People hoped that the prison and legal environment would improve with the affairs in this sector becoming transparent and rational. That this has not happened is clear from the report a leading daily carried on its front page recently. The confidence reposed in the interim administration seems to have been utterly misplaced. 

Or, how can such a large number of muggers, the close circuit camera videos of which crimes including stabbing and the most blood-curdling murders went gone viral recently, be freed from jails? Insecurity has manifestly proved to be so corrosive of social psyche and spontaneity of social life and business environment! This government had enjoyed enough public trust that if it were serious, it could make a turnaround in the abysmal law and order. Even the police have admitted the adverse impacts of such large-scale release of accused muggers.

On release, they soon return to their notorious profession and the law enforcers have to chase them anew. Thus, time, energy and money are wasted on the same exercise. This is undesirable. Clearly, there is a need for reviewing the bail provisions and at the same time considering such crimes with due seriousness. Repeated crimes cannot be allowed to vitiate the social and business environment. Even domestic and overseas investors give a serious look at the social and legal peace and stability before making investment anywhere. No wonder, Bangladesh has attracted the lowest ever investments, including foreign direct investment (FDI), during the tenure of this interim administration.

Mugging may not be a legal term but it starts from theft to robbery and dacoity in the penal parlance. The difference between and among those three types of crimes is determined by the physical violence, threat to life and the number of criminals involved. Under the section 390 of the Penal Code, a theft becomes a robbery if offenders resort to or cause instant death, use threat to hurt or murder. The same offence strangely becomes dacoity if five or more offenders are involved in the crime. Sure enough, the number of offenders involved in such crimes matter because the passers-by or bystanders dare not protest or resist them. Chances are that more innocent public become victim to their wrath and they can leave the spot of crime with impunity. 

In the process, the moral standpoints get weakened allowing the anti-social goons to have the last laugh. This is exactly how the social fabrics get disintegrated. Crimes proliferate, forcing honest and transparent business to compromise. When there is a threat to life of small traders and businesspeople from criminal gangs, they have to pay illegal tolls. Even the footpath vendors are not spared. Business becomes costlier with the burden ultimately getting shifted to the general consumers. This explains why ease of doing business in this country is extremely challenging and commodity prices are usually higher than they ought to be. The social parasites are primarily responsible for this with its snowballing effects adversely impacting every area of life.