Victims' families living in fear

It is with dismay we witness that the families of the seven-murder victims in Narayanganj still live in fear of their lives. This is so because they have been openly intimidated by associates allegedly close to Nur Hossain, the main accused, who was repatriated to Bangladesh less than a year ago. What is alarming to note is that he, allegedly, has had his goons openly parading the streets outside the homes of these families in an act of coercion. One could easily be misled into thinking that Nur Hossain's power and influence remain despite incarceration.

Certainly, the State and law enforcers have a moral duty to protect witnesses from harm. Time has come for a full-fledged witness protection programme, which would allow for some level of security to witnesses in sensitive cases such as this. Because we know that some 12 of the 35 accused in the case are still absconding, and this represents a real danger to witnesses for the prosecution in the case.

The Narayanganj seven-murder case involves influential personalities, and the principal accused has a long reach. That some of his associates have resurfaced should be sending signals to the authorities. Failure to provide protection to the witnesses is simply unacceptable from a moral point of view. Should any untoward incident occur, it will have wider ramifications for future trials where people will simply refuse to come forward to offer testimony. That would be a step backward in ensuring the rule of law.