By Kazi Mamunur Rashid
The barbaric murder of scrap metal trader Lal Chand Shohag in Old Dhaka’s Mitford area has sent shockwaves through the nation, exposing once again the deep rot of extortion, lawlessness, and political indifference that has gripped Bangladesh. Brutally killed for refusing to pay Tk 200,000 in monthly extortion, Shohag’s death is not just a tragedy—it is a terrifying symptom of a country being overrun by criminal impunity.
Though killings and violence tied to extortion are not new, the sheer brutality of this incident, where not only was a man killed for defiance, but his corpse was also desecrated, reflects a dangerous moral decay in society. This was not just a murder—it was a statement of terror by extortionists and a gut-wrenching indictment of the state’s inability to protect its citizens.
Successive governments, regardless of political ideology, have failed to uproot the culture of criminality and extortion that infects both urban and rural Bangladesh. From small shopkeepers to large-scale business owners, no one is safe from the tentacles of organized extortion rackets—many of which operate with apparent political cover. The sad truth is that this latest tragedy did not happen in isolation. It is part of a broader pattern of impunity, aided and abetted by political negligence, police inaction, and a judiciary overwhelmed by delays.
Following Shohag’s killing, the government’s top law and home advisers came forward with statements. One promised referral of the case to the Speedy Tribunal Court; the other claimed that legal proceedings had been initiated. While these pronouncements might satisfy a media headline or two, they do little to restore public confidence in a system that has repeatedly failed to deliver justice. The people are not merely tired—they are traumatized, and they deserve more than empty reassurances or delayed prosecutions.
This brutal act has also peeled away the layers of dysfunction in our politics. Though the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is not in power, disturbing allegations suggest its grassroots operatives may be involved in extortion activities, including this heinous crime. While the BNP’s central leadership has issued periodic warnings against criminal behavior within its ranks, these have proven woefully insufficient. In truth, the party has failed to clean its house, even as it seeks to gain power through elections.
The political landscape of Bangladesh is riddled with mistrust, vendettas, and violence. But what the nation needs most today is a political awakening—across party lines. This is not the time for finger-pointing. It is the time for an honest reckoning with the political culture that has enabled criminality to flourish in the guise of activism. Inter-party feuds, muscle-flexing at the grassroots, and patronage-driven extortion schemes must be rooted out with a zero-tolerance approach.
Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s long rule, expectations had surged that the interim Yunus administration would enforce law and order and reset the nation’s moral compass. Unfortunately, the reality has fallen short. While some symbolic actions were taken in the early months, the overall law-and-order situation has deteriorated. From the vandalism of cultural and religious landmarks to the rise of teenage gangs and militant mobs, the state has often appeared absent, if not complicit.
The murder of Shohag, therefore, is not an isolated incident—it is the product of a society where extortion, bribery, and political thuggery have become normalized. If a businessman can be killed in the capital’s heart for refusing to pay a monthly bribe, imagine the lawlessness in rural backwaters where media presence is negligible and justice is often elusive.
This is also a moment of profound missed opportunity. The fall of one political regime should have been a turning point for all major parties, particularly the BNP, to reject past mistakes and build a new, people-oriented political culture. But the failure to reform internal structures and maintain discipline among field-level activists has exposed that old habits die hard. Political parties cannot claim to be vehicles of change while tolerating, if not tacitly encouraging, criminal behavior in their ranks.
The gruesome murder of Lal Chand Shohag is not just the failure of a government or a political party—it is a failure of national conscience. Bangladesh cannot continue down this road of normalized violence, extortion, and criminal impunity. All political parties—be they in power, opposition, or in waiting—must rise above petty calculations and unite in an uncompromising stance against extortion and corruption. The stakes are too high, and the damage too deep, to delay action any further. Only through a united political front, real institutional reform, and decisive law enforcement can Bangladesh hope to reclaim the rule of law and create a society where justice is not a privilege but a guarantee. If the country’s political class fails to act now, the Valley of Death will only grow wider, consuming more lives, livelihoods, and the future of this nation.
(The writer is the Secretary General of Jatiyo Party, a center-right conservative and third-largest political party in Bangladesh, founded by the former President Hossain Muhammad Ershad)
