Political violence kills 13 in Jan, Feb: Odhikar

Staff Correspondent

 At least 13 people were killed and 1,043 were injured in political violence in the country in the first two months of 2018, rights organsiation Odhikar said in its Human Rights Monitoring Report.

The report released on Friday also said that at least 4,836 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested in February over the verdict of Zia Orphanage Trust case that handed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to five years of imprisonment.

‘The government became extremely repressive on the day of this verdict of Zia Orphanage Trust case and separated Dhaka City from the rest of the country. From the night of 5 February, members of law enforcement agencies started operations in public transport, vehicles, dormitory and residential hotels across the country,’ the report said.

 

The report also said, ‘Apart from mass arrests and suppression, the government has also barred the meetings and assemblies of the left-wing political parties and the opposition BNP.’

Odhikar said besides the political violence and mass arrest, at least 26 people were victims of extrajudicial killings in January and February – 24 became victims of “crossfire” and two were shot to death.

Besides, seven people were victims of enforced disappearance, 11 died in jail and 11 people were victims of public lynching in January and February, Odhikar said.

The report said 115 women were raped, 26 women were sexually harassed, three were victims of acid attack in the two months.

Odhikar said three people were arrested under Information and Communication Technology Act, 18 journalists were injured, four journalists were assaulted and

three journalists were threatened during the two months.

The report said during the two months, three Bangladeshis were killed by Indian border security force BSF and eight were injured and two were abducted by BSF.

Courtesy: New Age Mar 03, 2018