Dastardly attack on UNO

Although it would not be fair to conclude the motive of the beastly attack on UNO Ghoraghat and her father inside their official residence, in Dinajpur, in the absence of detailed information, it is difficult to accept the initial explanation of Rab regarding the motive of the attack. The account that the purpose was burglary does not stand up to even a perfunctory scrutiny of the circumstances and the crime scene. Nothing, as far as we know, is missing from the house of the UNO. Even the local member of parliament has suggested that the motive was to kill the UNO.  

While we strongly condemn the attack and wish the UNO Wahida Khanam a quick and full recovery, we cannot but be alarmed at the incident that exposes the deep crevice in the security system in the country. A UNO is the chief executive of an upazila. So what should we make of a situation where the state cannot provide an official in employment of the state and one who represents the state authority in the area under her or his responsibility with proper security, not to speak of providing security to ordinary citizens?

The incident also reveals the criminalisation of politics that has driven the state of governance to an abysmal state. It also demonstrates what impunity amongst some ruling party cadres can do to the legal system and the state of law and order. Among the arrested, although one has been released later, are local Jubo League leaders. It is not quite clear why they were arrested and why one was released soon after. We hope that the authorities would clarify the matter.

The incident also betrays the bureaucratic red-tapism that hamper proper functioning of the system. We understand that the PM had ordered provision of Ansar security to Upazila level officials two years ago. We demand an answer as to why that has not been carried out yet.

Wahida Khanam is known to be a no-nonsense functionary who was addressing several law and order issues in right earnest. We believe there is more to the reason for the attempt on the life of the UNO, than what appears now, and hope that the investigation would be able to reveal both the motive and the perpetrators.