[vinnomot] Re: [khabor.com] The universities and dissent: Some cautionary lessons

 

Police are predators, not protectors

Custodians of the law put on a mask of brutality in university teachers and students. Most of the detained students were severely assaulted by the law enforcers in the name of remand.All the freed students, especially the ones who are now free only on bail, were showing visceral fear of law enforcing agencies when journalists were asking them about their experiences in detention.

Rafiqul Islam Sujon, who was sweating even in the winter morning, was also struggling hard to stand upright. On Monday, he was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was having problem breathing yesterday amid the festivities, and was stumbling as he tried to walk. Blood was oozing out of his mouth as he was trying to speak. Sujon however said it felt good to be free. "But I can't talk much, it's very painful for me to talk now," he said in a faint voice with much effort.

Another freed student Liton Mahmud said Shahbagh police tortured him, after he had been taken to the police station. He had been arrested by Bhoirob police on September 8 and was handed over to Shahbagh police. "Police tortured me and broke the pinky on my left hand. They did not even arrange for my broken finger's treatment. As I managed to get medical attention myself they even took away the medical documents."

Once again, students experiences have exposed the horror hollows of our men in uniform. What is it that makes the protectors called police, turn predators? Are meagre salaries, long working hours, pathetic working conditions, the state's apathy towards the force responsible for turning them into savage beasts? Or is it the kick that a policemen derive from donning their uniform, knowing fully well that they have an edge over ordinary citizens, that draws out the power-hungry beast in them? Why not  we blame the government for the insensitivity of our police force?

 

Gopal Sengupta

Canada

gopalsengupta@aol.com

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