479 murders in the capital in 15 months, almost 40 percent are political

Dhaka Metropolitan Police has reported that 193 or almost 40 percent of the 479 murders committed in the capital in the last 15 months are politically motivated. The organization's analysis has shown that political violence has now become a major concern for the law and order situation in the city.

According to police data, Wari, Gulshan and Uttara divisions have emerged as the most vulnerable areas for political murders. Dominance, internal conflicts, tender rigging and extortion are being identified as the main reasons for these murders.

Several recent murders in different areas of the capital have further clarified this trend. Incidents such as the death of a political leader in a shooting in Tejgaon area or the killing of another leader by open firing in Madhya Badda have raised new questions about the law and order situation.

According to crime analysts, attempts are made to achieve economic interests in many cases by using political identities as a shield. Violence is being used to control tenders, extortion and influence in the area. However, they cite the culture of impunity as the biggest reason behind this.

Professor Md. Omar Faruk, Criminology Department, Maulana Bhashani University of Science and Technology, said that internal conflicts within political parties, election-related tensions and the struggle for dominance with opponents are the main reasons for this violence. Sometimes even ordinary murders are given a political dimension, which affects the investigation process.

According to statistics, from January last year to March this year, the highest number of murders occurred in Wari division (110). Then there were 80 in Mirpur, 61 in Tejgaon, 56 in Gulshan, 54 in Uttara division, 48 in Motijheel, 42 in Lalbagh and 28 in Ramna division.

Meanwhile, out of a total of 193 political murders, 58 occurred in Wari, which is about 30 percent. There have been 28 political killings in Gulshan and 26 in Uttara division.

SN Md. Nazrul Islam said that no killing is desirable. It is necessary to take strict measures to prevent crimes committed for political reasons and political figures, social leaders and religious figures should also play a role in this.

Former Inspector General of Police Abdul Kaiyum believes that preventive measures need to be strengthened to curb crime. If the accused are arrested quickly, fair investigation and speedy trial can be ensured, the crime rate will decrease to a large extent.

According to experts, it will be difficult to control this violence if strict monitoring and accountability are not ensured within the political parties. At the same time, they have also emphasized on increasing the activity of law enforcement agencies and the effectiveness of the judiciary.