PM Hasina flays rights bodies over silence in MP Liton's murder

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says she finds it rather surprising that not a single rights organisation 'issued a statement' over the murder of Awami League MP from Gaibandha Manjurul Islam Liton.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Jan 2017, 10:34 AM
Updated : 25 Jan 2017, 04:28 AM

Addressing senior police officers at her office on Tuesday, she said  "Every now and then a hullabaloo erupts over trivial matters.

"But not a single word from the human rights bodies after the murder of a lawmaker. Bangladesh is a strange country."

On the evening of Dec 31 last year, unidentified assailants shot ruling MP Liton several times at his Gaibandha house. He died hours later in a hospital.

Awami League President Hasina has blamed Jamaat-e-Islami, the party which actively opposed Bangladesh's independence in 1971, for the murder.

"It's totally unacceptable that an elected representative has to die like this," she told top law-enforcers on Tuesday.

In 2015, MP Liton had to spend some time in jail after a fourth-grader was injured in shots allegedly fired from his gun.

Following the incident, local police confiscated his firearm.

Referring to the incident, the prime minister said, "The police deployment had been removed from his home. Why? His firearm was confiscated based on a false allegation … It seems that he was abandoned in a planned way."

The prime minister expressed her dissatisfaction with the security measures of the police to protect MP Liton in these Jamaat dominated areas.

“Given the situation in these areas, the security measures taken were inadequate and it has led to the death of a member of parliament.”

“Some are not as vocal about the planned attacks on people from different religions, or those who set fire to mosques and kill people,” she said.

The prime minister urged police to engage with the local population and resolve problems with their help.

She praised law enforcement for their handling of during the two major militant attacks last year.

“There had been grave concern about Bangladesh,” said the prime minister. “Not all of it has dissipated. But, if we can keep Bangladesh peaceful for the next two years, we will advance greatly.”

Hasina said that ‘conspiracies’ seem to be hatched just when the country starts to develop.

“Many cannot bear the country's progress. Our enemies are not abroad, they are here at home,” said the prime minister.

Hasina also said that many had thought Bangladesh would not be able to meet the challenge of militancy during the Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack.

“Some foreign ambassadors believed Bangladesh could not bring the situation under control, but we managed to do so in a few hours. Even then some were not satisfied.”

Speaking of the two police officers who lost their lives during the attack, the prime minister said:

“This is what it means to do one’s duty – to fulfil your responsibilities, even under the threat of death.”

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Home Secretary Kamal Uddin Ahmed also spoke at the event.

The prime minister listened to various senior police officials about their demands at the meeting.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah asked for the creation of ten more posts of inspector generals.

But the prime minister was not particularly receptive to these demands.

“This program was created to review and evaluate police procedures, and form an action plan to improve them. But, instead, we have only heard demands and lectures.”

Hasina even hinted that the discussion might be cancelled in coming years.