Killings rise in Savar sharply

The occurrence of killings mostly involving land disputes and family feuds has increased steeply in Savar on the outskirts of the capital in the last one and a half months.
In the last 47 days up to yesterday, 19 murders have been committed, while the figure was eight in May and June, show records at the two police stations--Savar and Ashulia.
Police recognised the sharp rise in the number of killing incidents but put the blame on "moral degradation" of people rather than a lax in security watch.
"This is not a deterioration of the law and order situation in the area. It's moral degradation," said Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Savar circle Moshiuddoula Reza, referring to the causes of the killings--land disputes and family feuds.
Among the killing incidents, at least five involved land-related disputes and three were tied to family feuding, according to police.
Four people were found killed in the last three days alone.
Yesterday, Savar police recovered the body of a 68-year-old man from his residence at Teyabari of Genda. The victim, Shahjada Tofayel Haque, had a feud with his sister over ancestral land, said locals and police.
The victim came back home from Belgium two years ago and had been living with his second wife, they said. His only son lives in Belgium.
He shared the first floor of an under-construction multi-story building with his sister Shahjadi Karima Sultana, and he quarrelled with her now and then over the house land.
Tofayel was smothered following the dispute, said Mostafa Kamal, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, talking to The Daily Star.
Police detained 13 people, including his sister Karima Sultana, in connection with the murder.
ASP Moshiuddoula said they were worried over the recent rise in killings. "We are trying to conduct speedy investigation into the incidents," he told The Daily Star.
The police official also said recent political violence and engagement of the force in escorting VIPs on highways were consuming most of their time and strength.
On Thursday, an unidentified female, presumably 24 years of age, was found dead in Berulia, Savar. Police said that on information by locals, they recovered the body from the river Turag, which bore marks of injury all over the body.
A day ago, on Wednesday, Savar police recovered two bodies. One of the victims, Rashed Sheikh, 40, a local businessman, was hacked to death in Bank Town area of Savar. On the same day, Buddu Miah, 75, of Hemayetpur area was killed over land dispute, they said.
Apart from killings, a sharp rise is seen in criminal activities. From July 1 to mid-August, police have recorded two robbery cases, several mugging incidents, and 24 narcotics cases involving peddling, transporting and consuming of drugs.
The dwellers of Savar municipality area, however, said the number of mugging, robbery and extortion incidents would be far higher, as most of those were not recorded by police.