Law enforcers failing to halt arson spree
Fire service says 7.7 vehicles torched daily on average since October 28; number was 12 per day on Nov 19, 20
Despite various strategies adopted by law enforcers to thwart arson attacks on vehicles during the series of blockades and hartals called by BNP and its allies, such attacks could hardly be deterred.
As part of the strategies, plainclothes members of both Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police have been travelling on buses in the guise of passengers.
Many are deployed in plainclothes at different strategic points while law enforcers are also searching buses at various places in the capital by setting up check posts.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has deployed over 5,000 members in the areas under the capital's 50 police station, while a significant number of Rab members are also engaged to thwart sabotage and arson attacks, officials said.
Officials of both police and Rab claimed to have arrested many arsonists from the spots and many suspects based on intelligence, tips and by scrutinising CCTV footage of the attacks.
Rab deployed 425 patrol teams across the country, including 145 in the capital while Border Guard Bangladesh deployed 231 BGB platoons countrywide, including 28 platoons in Dhaka and surrounding districts to maintain the law and order situation, Rab and BGB said in press releases on Monday.
Despite all such measures, the arson attacks rage on.
According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, it has received reports of 197 arson attacks on vehicles, commuter train compartments and establishments in 24 days spanning October 28 to November 20.
Fire service officials have said the number may be greater as there may have been fires that were not reported.
According to Police Headquarters data, the total number of arson attacks is 402, including 247 torched vehicles, from October 28 till November 21.
The fire service said the arson attacks took place in 60 upazilas of 34 districts with Dhaka city topping the list with 95. Most of the torched vehicles were buses.
It said 185 vehicles were torched during the period. That works out to an average of 7.7 vehicles, five of them buses, torched every day, the fire service said on Tuesday.
Centring the 48-hour hartal that ended at 6:00am on November 21, arsonists set fire to 24 vehicles including eight in the capital, according to fire service data as well as additional incidents reported in the media. Three compartments of a commuter train were also torched in Jamalpur's Sharishabari during the hartal.
The 24 arson attacks on vehicles during the two-day hartal on November 19 and 20 gives a daily average of 12 attacks. That is above the daily average since October 28, whether taking fire service (7.7) or PHQ (10) data into account. This means that the attacks are only increasing.
Analysis of fire incidents shows that a majority of the arson attacks were carried out at night. Many were also carried out on nights before the blockade or hartal hours began.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of Rab, told The Daily Star that they have arrested over 550 people since October 28 and 150 to 200 of them were involved in arson attacks.
Moin said their intelligence members are riding buses in the guise of passengers. Besides, they have intensified their patrolling and vigilance.
They are also getting information monitoring social media, CCTV and video footage of the incidents, and arresting the culprits.
The Rab officer said Rab intelligence is working on area-based information and involved locals to thwart arson attacks.
Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of DMP, said around 5,000 DMP law enforcers have been working to thwart arson attacks, and police have arrested many.
"We are also trying to arrest godfathers and those who are financing the attacks. None will be spared," he told The Daily Star.
The ongoing spate of hartals and blockades started from October 29, the day following the violence between BNP activists and police centring the party's rally in the capital.
BNP and its allies have been enforcing the programmes to demand that the upcoming national polls be held under a non-party caretaker government. Since November 15, the parties have also been protesting the polls schedule announced by the Election Commission on that day.