The recent law enforcement crackdowns following the quota protests have resulted in the detaining of hundreds, possibly thousands, but what is troubling about these arrests is that virtually none of them have followed due process.
Forget about probable cause, we are seeing people arrested not even on reasonable suspicion, often just for being young men and in the wrong place at the wrong time, or due to their political affiliation or identity.
Given the circumstances which led to a lot of the violence and destruction the nation witnessed over the past week, the need for our law enforcement to start being more pro-active in their investigations is understandable. However, arresting an individual over suspected crimes must follow certain procedures and be unbiased in their nature -- the recent crackdown has, unfortunately, appeared to be anything but.
According to various news reports, close to 3,500 people have been arrested between July 20 and July 24, individuals thought to be in connection with the instances of vandalism and violence throughout Bangladesh. And the arrests continue till date. These are absolutely staggering numbers and even in the context of the unrest we witnessed, suggest blanket round-ups, with any kind of due process a far cry.
Yes, the nation witnessed widespread pandemonium following the quota protests, and while the destruction that citizens endured must be thoroughly investigated, arbitrary mass arrests will achieve nothing except the further erosion of trust from our law enforcement on the part of the wider public. It is absolutely the wrong way to go about things.
Public trust is something that our law enforcement cannot afford to damage further.
Public trust is something that our law enforcement cannot afford to damage further.
There are already severe questions that need to be answered with respect to how the protests were handled by law enforcement. Let us not compound the problem by making the same mistakes when it comes to trying to get to the bottom of things.
There is no question that the violence and vandalism needs to be fully investigated and that those guilty are brought to book. There can be no excuse for the damage that was done by miscreant elements, and those who are responsible must be identified and punished.
But, now, more than ever, the authorities need to tread carefully in order to not further upset an already very fraught situation.