The Khulna saga: Tendon cutting by AL and my thoughts

The political scenario in Bangladesh is often mired by violence. Sometimes terrible violence. Violence that makes a sane human being question the existence of the rule of law. One such practice that has recently come to the forefront in Bangladesh is the barbaric practice of tendon cutting. Tendon cutting, in all its sadistic glory has been used as a tool by the Awami League in two ways. One has been by widely practicing the cruel technique in opposition party clampdowns and clashes, while the second way has been the to shamefacedly blame opposition activists for carrying out such ghastly acts.  This is not to say that other parties are never involved in such acts, but to say that the practice of tendon cutting by Awami League and Chatra League cadres in both instances of infighting and clashing with the political opposition is so high that other parties fail to come anywhere near in terms of propagating this barbaric practice.

Just last Thursday, Awami League cadres attacked and killed opposition leaders in two separate incidents in Khulna. The incidents took place during the second day of the nationwide strike/hartal called by the 18 party grand alliance. Two BNP leaders were beaten to death and tendons of their feet were slashed at separate incidents at Torkhada and Dumuria upazilas in Khulna by cadres of the Awami League and Jubo League.

The deceased include BNP party affairs secretary of 4 no. ward of Modhupur Union of Torkhada upazila Bulu Mollah and Gazi Nasim Uddin Sumon, vice president of Dumuria upazila Jubodal.

Bulu Mollah was called away from his house, beaten to death and tendons of his feet were cut. And Sumon was badly beaten by the Juboleague and later handed over to police. He died in police custody.

Police have yet to file a case in either incident.

Hartal has been called in Khulna this Sunday to protest this violence, which as usual, has gone over the head of the police administration, since none of the culprits in this regard have been caught by the police. Its probably safe to say that the killers will go unpunished.

Battered and bruised with the sorrowful and grim thoughts that such events bring to the mind, my heart screams for justice to be served. Unfortunately, how possible will that be in the rapidly deteriorating Bangladesh of today, I cannot say. 

And Allah knows best.