Nightlong Looting Met with Administration Indifference: 'Country cannot go on like this'

Nahid Islam, convener of the NCP, has expressed deep concern over the vandalism and looting at the Radda MCH-FP Center at Mirpur in the the capital.

He said, "The fact that the Radda MCH-FP Center, which has been providing services to mothers and children and running vaccination programs for 50 years, was demolished at midnight is a terrible sign of how fragile the country's law and order situation is."

He said these in a post on his verified Facebook page on Saturday (September 26).

Nahid Islam said, "The silent and indifferent role of law enforcement agencies while vandalism and looting continued at the institution all night is a matter of deep concern. A country cannot go on like this."

He said, "The incident of a hospital being demolished and occupied in the heart of the capital, like land grabbing, has raised questions in people's minds about whether any government actually exists in the country."

Citing allegations by locals, the opposition Chief Whip said, "BNP Member of Parliament Ferdousi Ahmed Misti, from a reserved women's seat, and an influential leader of the Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP are behind this vandalism and occupation."

Criticizing the Home Minister, he said, "Even though the law and order situation has deteriorated so terribly day after day, the Home Minister's virtually inactive role is a matter of shame for the entire nation."

He demanded that every person involved in the vandalism and looting at the Radda MCH-FP Center must be arrested immediately and brought to justice. At the same time, the main masterminds behind the incident must be identified and brought under the law, and exemplary punishment for the culprits must be ensured.

Earlier, at midnight on Thursday, more than a hundred people attacked the health center in Mirpur. At that time, they held security guards hostage, tied their hands and feet, and looted valuable medical equipment, medicines, vaccines, and cash.

Later, the attackers demolished the entire facility, including one permanent and three semi-permanent buildings, using heavy machinery. Allegations have emerged that the attack was carried out under the banner of an organization named "Samamona Dokandar Samabaya Samiti Limited."

Nasrin Akhtar, executive director of the Radda MCH-FP Center, said that more than one crore taka in damage was caused. She filed a case with Shah Ali Police Station as the plaintiff in the incident. Police have so far arrested four people in the case.

The Radda MCH-FP Center has been providing services to mothers and children and running vaccination programs for 50 years. Today, Saturday, the institution provided medical services in front of the broken building.