Allegations of a deteriorating law-and-order situation have prompted calls for Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed’s resignation, with speakers at a human chain in Shahbagh on Monday citing several recent incidents in Dhaka.
Political analyst Professor Dilara Chowdhury, a former chairman of the Department of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University, made the call at the programme organized by “Manch 24” over the attack on content creator Salman Muqtadir’s studio, the vandalism of Radda Health Centre in Mirpur and alleged failures to maintain law and order.
Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party Secretary General Asaduzzaman Fuaad, “Manch 24” adviser Faizul Haque, Fahim Mashrur, convener of the Referendum Implementation Citizens Forum, and the convener of Manch 24 were also present, along with other leaders.
At the human chain, Dilara Chowdhury said: “We do not want the home minister. He must resign. Because he has failed as home minister.”
Criticizing the current government, she said: “After the 2024 uprising, I thought it was your responsibility to rebuild the fragile state. But you did not do that. Because you rejected the July referendum, and this was your first betrayal of the people.”
Criticizing the home minister over the vandalism of Salman Muqtadir’s studio, she said: “They broke Muqtadir’s studio. When Muqtadir talked about extortion, he was challenged over a land dispute. If there was a land dispute, there are courts. Who are you to come and break it? And you, the home minister, entered into a war of words with him.”
Addressing the home minister, she said: “Since the day you came to power, you have been a constitutional expert. You want to make a constitution that is not the dream of July. Your job is not to fix the constitution; your job is to fix law and order in the country. You cannot do your job. Leave, resign.”
Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party Secretary General Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuaad said that during the interim government, whenever a national problem emerged, people were told to hold the election and everything would be solved.
He said issues ranging from drying rivers and canals, traffic congestion and rising prices of goods to killings along the border were presented as matters that would be resolved once an elected government came to power.
“But we are seeing that everything remains the same as before,” he said.
Speaking about the recent attack on Radda Health Centre in Mirpur, he said: “The way Israeli forces demolish hospitals in Gaza and the way India’s Hindu nationalist BJP demolishes mosques and temples, exactly the same way, under cover of night, 200-250 terrorists bulldozed a 50-year-old hospital. This has happened for the first time in 56 years. This is the picture of the fertile and prosperous Bengal of the elected government.”
He also condemned the vandalism of Salman Muqtadir’s studio and the shooting incident.
Fuaad called on the prime minister and the home minister to immediately improve the law-and-order situation and restore a sense of peace and security among the public.
“Manch 24” adviser Faizul Haque said the government had been in power for only 6-7 months but had already failed to ensure public safety and protect public healthcare facilities.
He said: “Since independence, I have not heard of any hospital or clinic disappearing overnight. During the fascists’ time, I heard that people were disappeared and taken inside Aynaghar. And during the current BNP government, in the time of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, we are hearing that 200-250 terrorists have, under cover of darkness, permanently made a public service institution disappear.”
He said: “Those whom you drove away are lying in wait. At any moment they will conspire to undermine your freedom and sovereignty, which we do not want to allow. BNP or this government is not our enemy. We want to tell this government that since you have come to power riding on the blood of 2024, at least run the country properly for 5 years. And if you cannot, step down and arrange another fair election.”