A violent brand of politics
How long will the ruling party remain silent?
To say that the clash between supporters of Narayanganj city Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy and those of local Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman on Tuesday afternoon in Narayanganj city's Chashara is condemnable, would be an understatement. It was nothing less than a shameless display of a violent brand of politics that the ruling party has repeatedly failed to keep in check.
What we understand from our report is that it was the brandishing of a firearm by a Jubo League leader and Osman supporter that escalated the clash which ultimately led to brickbats hitting the Narayanganj mayor. How much longer are we going to stand by and watch ruling party men wield muscle power and issue such physical threats with impunity?
The point of contention has to do with the eviction of hawkers from footpaths. On Monday, MP Shamim Osman said that the hawkers could not be evicted until they were rehabilitated while Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy said that she would not allow hawkers to occupy the footpath at all.
First, the threats issued by the lawmaker at the demonstration organised by Hawkers Sangram Parishad on Monday are unacceptable. They defied the basic norms of civility which sadly seem to be missing altogether from our political landscape. Second, the timeline of the eviction of hawkers shows that the Narayanganj City Corporation had already designated places where hawkers could set up shop until February 27, which is why the lawmaker's demands for rehabilitation are not only illogical but also cannot be interpreted as anything other than provocation. Third, the authority lies with the City Corporation alone to decide where hawkers can set up shop and where they cannot.
We urge the government to take note of this episode and intervene in order to delineate clearly that the eviction of hawkers from footpaths is an issue that only the City Corporation can deal with and that it is not the jurisdiction of a local lawmaker. Moreover, an example needs to be made by bringing to book the Jubo League leader who had the audacity to brandish a gun in a public space.