AREN'T KNIVES ARMS?

 

Muhammad Shamim Akhter, 15 August, 2011:

The more we are developed, the more we are encircled by different social problems which have been created in consequence of our indifference and active penetration of a  quarter who are in fact the enemy of the people and may be clearly mentionable as bandits. The financial soundness of a person can make a little benefit otherwise he is bothered by so many troubles happening every now and then around his establishment. Such a bother of an individual may discolor the face of whole state when many individuals are assembled to live in.
The fact suggests that before 1971, our country did not experience such horrendous murder, unwanted death in contrast of after liberation war period. As a neutral analyst, it is our duty to go through the crime statistics as materials for judgment.  
It is frustrating that after liberation war in 1971 it became a proverb that ‘Salt and murder is cheaper in the country.”

To be frank, a section of the participants in the liberation war was reluctant to surrender the arms after 16 December, 1971. The literary evidence shows that illegal arms kept by a part of them had been used committing offenses in the following years. As a result, during the regime of Shekih Mujibur Rahman, military was deployed to discover those illegal arms, but for different reasons, the mission did   a little progress and law and order we deteriorated day by day. The memorable film of Khan Ata ‘Abar tora Manush Ha’ corroborates my claim. Other film makers depicted the fact in their films.  
The personal animosity amalgamated by political decision played pivotal role for the intensification of murder, killing, lynching when BAKAL and Rokhi Bahini took the control. For Anti-Indian stunt, many opponents were killed, history suggests. Sensational 7-killing in Dhaka University by a powerful leader of a party formalized the mission of lynching which did not take a pause but to rocket high to higher in the following years and till now such horrendous act  with the aid illegal arms has been transformed into more horrific. During the first phase of 80’s in the last century, when I was in Khulna I saw 7 gear, a knife, , used to import from India used to commit may crimes. Later this was replaced by different sophisticated arms including fire arms imported from different countries.
So in the midst of such modern arms using frequently committing killing, snatching and other acts of intimidation, the usage of knives having attractive handles and sharpness is seen in the society should also be countered as an arm where the conventional Arms Act has imposed restriction on easy going of knives depicting it an arm implying punishment to carry, whereas those sharp, attractive are obtainable in different shops in New Market and Chakbazar in Dhaka which may also be  procurable from  other parts of the country since these markets are the prime location for whole sale.

A news reported to be murdered the sister by the hand of his brother in Bogbazar at Dhaka and a Madrasa man, by a miscreant years back and seized from the criminals in different PS may be implied as the instance that it is the high time to be enforced ban on its random usage. The High Court Division considered the materials and evidence on record and on detailed discussion has correctly arrived at its decision to mention knife as arm in accordance with section 4 of Arms Act, 1878 in the case Rezaul Karim Reza vs State, 25 BLD (2004), HCD 580.

In may countries, even blade is not permitted to be sold, for instance Australia, it is Bangladesh where one police for nearly 900 peoples and law and order is deteriorating day by day, it is not tenable to be permitted such ‘arms’ locally in particularly to the hand of the minor and young having no meaningful purpose to be used need to be given weight in determining more punishment.
Furthermore, when the horrific incidents of suicide for the reason of family feud is a concern, we can not but to propose to be possessed of such ‘arms’ as stipulated in the Arms Act subject to procuring the license or included to the banned item.
In addition, the usage of sharp knives imported from China by the hero in the movies depicting in the poster affixed on the walls and brainwashed by the minors should be closely monitored and exemplary actions which the conventional laws permit in this regard is a demand of the time.
To sum, it is our proposal to make laws, if necessary, or if enough by the customary laws it is the time to take drastic action in order to check the lawlessness in the country.