Jubo League leader Rizaul Haque Khan Milky was killed, apparently in an intra-party shooting yesterday.
His death is the latest example of the severe dysfunction within the Awami League’s front organisations, which seriously calls into question the ability of the ruling party to maintain order within its own ranks.
For months there have been almost daily reported incidents of infighting between various rival factions of the Chhatro League. This has not only led to serious injuries and deaths of Chhatro League members, but in many cases innocent bystanders have also suffered as collateral damage.
These incidents reflect poorly on the AL as an organisation and raise some serious concerns about its internal governance. We cannot help but wonder how these types of violent thugs are admitted into the party in the first place and what, if anything, the party is doing to keep a lid on their excesses.
Law and order is an issue that is extremely important to the electorate. The fact that the governing party itself is making such a visible contribution to its deterioration does nothing but undermine the people’s confidence in its ability to govern.
The onus is now on the AL to demonstrate that it is a party that can deal with the violent elements in its midst, swiftly and justly.
