Shakhawat Hossain
Nowadays, the indiscriminate killings of the so-called ‘criminals’ in ‘crossfire’ or ‘gunfights’ during different raids and the recovery of their bullet-hit bodies’ have not only become a common phenomenon across the country, but also a matter of great concern.
The law-enforcing agencies are pursuing a common line of action by branding the crossfire victims as militants or other criminals while the respective family members have been claiming that them as innocent victims of trigger-happy members of the law enforcing agencies including the RAB, DB and Police.
However, Human Rights activists, relatives of the deceased, have long been strongly criticizing the government and law enforcers in massive ways and demanding citizens’ rights protected.
The crime experts and social scientists also condemn the Directorate General of Health Services’ (DGHS) prior instruction to forensic doctors not to provide the media with detailed autopsy reports on persons killed in crossfire, following a written request from the DMP.
In last eleven days of January, , more than 27 people were killed in ‘crossfire’, cops’ firing and criminals’ rival fights in the city and other districts where about 36 bodies, including 11bullets hit bodies have been recovered at the same time, according to media reports.
Even eight persons were killed in ‘gunfights’ in Jessore district since December 17, six in the city, eight in Sundarbans areas, four in Dhaka, four in Jhenaidah, three in Barguna, three in Brahmanbaria, two in Chittagong, two in Mymensingh, two in Narsingdi and, one in Chuadanga and another Rangpur.
Earlier, at least 139 people fell victim to ‘crossfire’ and 86 to enforced disappearance in the country in 2017, said rights organisation Odhikar.
In Barguna, three suspected robbers were killed in separate “gunfights” with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Pathorghata of Barguna district on Tuesday night, said our local correspondent quoting Commander for RAB-8 Hasan Al Rajib.
In Chuadanga, Iman Ali, 28, an alleged member of inter-district robber group, was killed in what police claimed a gunfight in Chuadanga Sadar upazila on January 23 night, said Ahsan Habib, Assistant Superintendent of Police of Chuadanga. Meanwhile, a suspected robber was killed in a ‘gunfight’ at a graveyard at Bhalaipur village in Alamdanga upazila in the district on December 28.
In Rangpur, an alleged robber was killed during a gunfight with police in Rangpur city on January 22. The deceased Rajab Ali, 35, was a member of an inter-district robber gang.
In Jessore, at least five persons were killed in crossfire and two bullet-hit bodies also recovered in Jessore within 24 hours since January 21. In Brahmanbaria, at least two persons were killed in gunfire with cops in Brahmanbaria on the same day. In Bagerhat, three suspected jungle bandits were killed in a ‘gunfight’ with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Sukhpara Char area under Swarankhola range of the Sundarbans on January 18.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal claimed in a program in the city last year that ‘crossfire’ killings are untenable. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque said that police have the right to protect themselves during crossfire or gunfight.
Professor Sadeka Halim, a social scientist of Dhaka University and former Commissioner of Information Commission, said, “Such death by law enforcers is clear violation of human rights. Stressing that every family member has the right to know howtheir dear ones were killed, or what happened to them, she said.
Professor Zia Rahman, Chairman of Dhaka University’s Criminology Department, said law enforcers’ crossfire had raised confusion among the people about the identity of the criminals.
Advocate Salma Ali, Executive Director of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA), said, “We cannot support such killings in the name of crossfire. It should be stopped. If these continue, we will lose our trust in the government.”
Nur Khan, former Director of Ain o Salish Kendra, said the government has been tightening freedom of expression and said such attempts would further prompt unruly police officials to be involved in crimes. Police have no rights to kill people in the name of crossfire, he said.
Nur Khan Liton said, “We hoped that investigators would reveal information about recent killings. But the hope was shattered with such deaths in crossfire incidents.”
Mina Akter, sister of a crossfire victim, said that police killed her brother after picking up from their residence by identifying themselves as detectives of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
One of victim’s father, on condition of anonymity, said, “Everybody knows how his innocent son was killed during the police crossfire.”
6 cops charged with custodial torture
The Chittagong metropolitan magistrate’s court has ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the incident of a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader being tortured in police custody. The victim’s brother has alleged that the officer-in-charge of the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost and five others had tortured the BCL leader in police custody.
Enforced disappearances must end
In an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Bangladesh government to take urgent steps to confirm the whereabouts of and release people who are reportedly the victims of enforced disappearance.
Enforced disappearances have emerged as a key and pressing concern in Bangladesh, particularly since the period leading up to the January 2014 national elections, the HRW said in the letter that was made public on Saturday.
Over 80 cases of secret detentions and enforced disappearances were reported in 2017, with seven of them killed later in so-called “gunfights,” or “crossfire”: euphemisms for extra judicial killings. At least 17 are still missing, said a statement of the New York -based rights organization published in its website.
“Secret detentions and disappearances have become a terrifying prospect for Bangladeshis, who fear that any criticism or political affiliation can lead to a knock on the door from the ‘administration,’” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. He added, “As she nears the end of her third term in office, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should intervene personally to help families who are desperately looking for answers, and establish an independent authority to investigate and resolve this widespread problem.”
Some of these disappearances appear to be politically motivated, with several members of opposition parties or their relatives still missing. The government has promised repeatedly to investigate all allegations of human rights violations thoroughly and impartially. The issue was raised at the last United Nations Universal Periodic Review of the country’s human rights situation, in April 2013. But reports of new cases continue, it said.
During Human Rights Watch investigations into disappearances, witnesses confirmed the involvement of law enforcement agencies. In some cases, security personnel who carried out the detentions said that they were from the administration. In other cases, family members and witnesses identified those responsible as members of the detective branch or the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of the police, or from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) of the military. Bangladesh should ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, the statement said.
“In addition to the establishment of an independent authority, the Bangladesh government should invite relevant UN special mandate holders to conduct their own investigations,” Adams said, adding, “These teams should all be given free and unfettered access to all detention sites and access to all victims and their families.”
- Courtesy: Weekly Holiday/Feb 3, 2018
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