Of The Murderers in Bangladesh

In the never ending list of murders, extortion, heart wrenching fires and all kind of criminal fiesta, the death of a simple businessman named Bishwajit Das in public view perhaps will be disappeared from newspapers' front pages in a few days. A new sensational news will replace the "old" news, with new blood spill, or the victory lap of the tigers and the wolves, the real ones, not the stuffed tigers or the wolves, but the ones hiding behind the gentle political smile will shed their deceitful skin and will reveal their true monstrous selves!

A video clip of this murder (Please don't see this if you are faint hearted)

Perhaps this time the people who have witnessed this merciless killing from near and far will not let their anger die down. Maybe this time around the people will not be distracted by empty political slogans. 

The murderers' backgrounds are impressive. 

• Murderer number 1: Noore Alam is a fourth year university student, majoring in Political Science
• Murderer number 2: Rafiqul Islam is a second year university student majoring in Islamic History
• Murderer number 3: Mahfuzur Rahman is a final year Masters degree student in Bangla literature in the university
• Murderer number 4: Obhidul Quader is a fourth year student of psychology
• Murderer number 5: Emdadul Haque is a final year Masters degree student of philosophy
• Murderer number 6: Rasheduzzaman Shaon is a fourth year student of history
• Murderer number 7: Rintu is a fourth year student of English literature
• Murderer number 8: Mohammad Uzzal is a fourth year student of social science

Philosophy, psychology, Bangla and English literature, political and social science and history - these subjects should have enlightened their mind, free their spirit to the realm of basic empathy, but instead they have hacked an innocent businessman Bishwajit Das, in broad daylight, in front of the shuttering cameras of numb media and ridiculously ineffective law enforcers watching only from yards away. 

41 years ago in 1971, the known enemies from foreign land and their shameless collaborators killed countless innocent civilians, men, women, and children, murdered professors, students, doctors, engineers and civil servants. It was a brutal war, though in the end the innocence had triumphed over the oppression. 

Bangladesh has come a long way since then. Many decades have passed, military dictators of by gone era are only the fading memories. But if one compares the blood soaked newspapers of today to a similar page from one, two or ten years ago, the brutality, the senseless violence, photos or words describing the thugs and murderers, the cries and agonies of aggrieved family emanating from newspapers' crispy pages, have not changed much. The players at the top, the ruling and the main oppositions swapped their positions, but their hired murderers' crass actions have remained the same. 

The tragic part is that the powerful political elites have been exploiting college and university students  to do their dirty deeds. 

24 year old Bishwajit Das is dead and his body is already cremated by his family in a tearful funeral. Today was also International Human Rights Day. "This year the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making." 

Bishwajit Das was part of minority in Bangladesh. His very basic right, to live freely, was taken away from him by murdering thugs working under political elites (Awami League? BNP?). Will there be any justice served for his murderers or behind the scene orchestrators? 

References

1. Rashidul Hasan, Of The Murderers, The Daily Star, December 11, 2012. Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=260737
2. Rashidul Hasan, 3 Other Murderers, The Daily Star, December 13, 2012. Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=260958