Citizens too need to be conscious about security measures, says Bangladesh Police chief

Amid law-enforcers’ failure to make any headway in the cases over recent killings, Bangladesh Police chief has said that citizens also need to be conscious about security measures.

An editor of the country’s first LGBT magazine, Xulhaz Mannan, 35, was killed inside his apartment in capital Dhaka on Monday along with his theatre activist friends Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy.

The inspector general of police (IGP) spoke to the media on Tuesday after visiting the crime scene.

Police have been drawing flak for the killings at Dhaka’s Kolabagan which took place two days after the murder of a Rajshahi University teacher by machete-wielding attackers.

IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, however, did not find any lapses on the part of police. Rather, he advised, citizens to be conscious.

“Every individual should have a sense of security. They should be aware of their own security, security of their neighbours and also of the locality.”

He said that it was not possible for the police to provide security at every home. Citizens should also take security measures.

“This is a very well planned murder. We suspect the attackers did their homework prior to the killings,” said the police chief.

Referring to the IGP’s remark that it was planned killing, reporters asked whether there were any lapses on the part of detectives.

“Detectives do not deal with such micro level issues. It’s not their job to find how and when a man will be murdered.

“They gather overall information, like extremists’ activities,” replied IGP Hoque.

He refused to attribute the incident to ‘intelligence failure’. “It’s because of their work that many militants were arrested.”

Hoque said Monday’s killings were similar to previous ‘militant attacks’, but did not comment on a motive.

“The motive can be known only after any arrest is made. Whether militants were behind the attack can be known after the investigations are completed.”

The IGP seemed hopeful about bringing the perpetrators to justice. “We have skilled investigators. Those behind previous militant attacks have been identified.”

He also claimed ‘significant progresses’ in Saturday’s murder of a university professor in Rajshahi, but did not disclose details.