Dhaka plans fresh action to curb crimes

Embarrassed by the growing incidence of crime, the government now plans stern action against those who have failed to curb the problem.

The government is convinced that law enforcing agencies have proved incompetent in curbing crimes like murders, abductions and extortion, said an influential minister.

The recent incidents of abduction and killing of children have created serious concern at all levels of the government.

The Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, which took around 162 decisions at a series of meetings to ensure law and order and brought massive changes in the police administration, is now concerned because the steps failed to check crimes. It has not held a meeting in the last one month.

The committee comprising seven powerful ministers was due to meet once a week and hold fortnightly meetings with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the chair.

Committee sources said the home ministry has failed to implement the decisions of its meetings. But the home ministry denied this and claimed it has implemented 90 per cent and the rest will soon be implemented.

Both cabinet body and home ministry sources said police are not dedicated which is causing the deterioration of law and order.

"Besides, conflict between the home minister and the state minister for home and sharp division among top police officials are also obstructing the implementation of the cabinet body's decisions," one source said.

Moreover, the home ministry is without a full-time secretary. Cabinet Secretary Dr Sadat Hossain is still acting home secretary.

The government has also enacted an anti-terrorism law and deployed paramilitary BDR troops to check crime.

The prime minister has now instructed that a judicial inquiry commission be formed immediately after any major incident and to take stern action against.

The government has decided to deploy paramilitary troops again in the capital to carry out raids. Besides, intelligence agencies have been instructed to hunt for criminals.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Sheikh Hasina yesterday protested police actions against her party's leaders ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations at the weekend.

Sheikh Hasina condemned in a statement the arrest this week of former party lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder and a police raid on the house of senior party leader and former minister Amir Hossain.

She accused Khaleda Zia's government of resorting to fresh "torture, atrocities and harassment" to disrupt nationwide anti-government protest rallies and marches planned for today.