An excavator is not easy to conceal, just like more than 200 individuals, many of them masked and armed, navigating through a neighborhood during the late hours of the night. Transporting items like refrigerators, computers, medical tools, and other belongings requires vehicles, manpower, and time. Dismantling multiple buildings demands even more resources. The event that unfolded at the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 shortly after midnight on September 25 was not a spontaneous act but a meticulously planned and executed operation.
As per the filed complaint regarding the incident, over 200 masked persons entered the premises armed with sharp weapons, restrained security personnel, and looted medicines, government vaccines, family-planning materials, medical equipment, electronics, and other valuables. The culprits also used heavy machinery to destroy the structures, followed by erecting a signboard from a shopkeepers’ cooperative on the site. Piecing together the sequence of events highlights the systemic failure underscoring this orchestrated chaos. The incident involved gathering people, assembling weapons and equipment, procuring an excavator, loading valuables onto vehicles, demolishing buildings, and asserting physical control over the property. These were not random actions but part of a premeditated scheme.
The presence of law enforcement during the crime is crucial. Initial findings indicated that police officers were on-site while the looters were loading goods onto a pickup truck but failed to take effective action before the vehicle departed. CCTV footage revealed police personnel present as the looting transpired. Subsequently, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed acknowledged the police’s responsibility in preventing such events, initiated an inquiry into possible negligence, and removed the officer-in-charge of Shah Ali Police Station. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed confirmed negligence and pledged disciplinary actions. However, how could an incident of this magnitude occur in the presence of law enforcement personnel?
A critical complication emerges from the disputed land itself. The Sammona Dokandar Samabaya Samiti Limited claimed ownership of the plot allocated by the National Housing Authority and registered in its name, while Radda contested the attempted takeover, stating they received no prior notice of the demolition. Nevertheless, the existence of a disagreement does not justify the actions at Radda.
The Penal Code of Bangladesh defines an unlawful assembly as comprising five or more individuals with the common objective of using force to seize property or enforce a right. This legal provision emphasizes that private force is not permissible solely based on the belief in the legitimacy of one’s claim. The courts adjudicate rights, legitimate authorities execute orders, and police are tasked with preventing recognizable offenses. When this chain breaks, coercion infiltrates the system, corrupting power structures.
This trend predates the current administration, with land grabbing, politically influenced coercion, and muscle-flexing to settle disputes persisting across successive regimes. However, historical precedents do not excuse present failures. Despite assurances to combat mob violence, extortion, and illegal seizures, the recurrence of such incidents underscores the significant gap between official pledges and on-ground enforcement. The incident at Radda is not an isolated occurrence. Within a similar timeframe, Dhaka experienced multiple assaults involving vandalism, looting, and attempted takeovers in areas like Mohammadpur, Adabor, and ECB Chattar. The repetition of such events raises concerns about the emergence of parallel enforcement structures alongside the state, where disputed claims are enforced through coercion.
Parallel power poses a threat not only when non-state actors exert force but when society perceives that force as legitimate authority. Once this notion permeates public consciousness, coercion ceases to be an anomaly and starts functioning as an alternative mechanism of enforcement. It is imperative for the government to recognize this development and undertake comprehensive measures to address the rise of non-state actors and the systemic vulnerabilities allowing parallel power structures to thrive. Law enforcement agencies must identify and prosecute those responsible, while the judiciary imposes legal consequences through due process. The government must fulfill its commitments to uphold the rule of law and dismantle emerging parallel centers of power.
Regarding the Radda incident, the scale of the operation suggests a calculated risk assessment. The planners had to weigh factors like potential police intervention, operational feasibility, and the ensuing legal or political fallout and how to mitigate these risks. Perceiving accountability solely through the number of arrests post-event is inadequate. While authorities have apprehended several individuals in connection with the attack, questions persist about identifying and detaining the masterminds who organized, funded, or directed the assault.
Reports from Prothom Alo citing residents, law enforcement sources, and CCTV footage allege the involvement of local figures in coordinating the attackers, supplying weapons, and arranging the excavator. These claims necessitate thorough investigation and underscore the importance of dismantling the entire mechanism rather than merely punishing the foot soldiers. In organized violence, the easiest targets for arrest are often those closest to the execution, far removed from the decision-making echelons
