| 50 extra-judicial killings in about two months Extra-judicial killings by law enforcers continue unabated despite growing protests from political organizations, human-rights bodies and civil society members. The total number of such killings in 'crossfire', 'shootout' and 'gunfight' rose to 50 during the period from August 1 to September 26 as three more alleged criminals were killed in encounter and one dies in police custody on Saturday of these 50 people, 19 were killed in August and 31 in 26 days of September signally that the crossfire deaths are on the rise. According to UNB news agency and bdnews24.com, three terrorists were killed in separate encounters between their cohorts and RAB and police in Dhaka, Kushtia and Bagerhat districts and one dies in police custody in Rajshahi on Saturday. In Kushtia, an outlawed party carder was killed in a shootout between his cohorts and RAB at Lalnagar Trimohani road in Daulatpur upazila early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Mohan Malitha, 42, cadre of Purba Banglar Communist Party and son of late Abdul Malek Malitha of Talbaria Gachhertar village in the upazila. RAB also recovered one pipe gun, two sharp weapons, three live bombs and four bullets from the scene. Police said Mohan was wanted in eight cases including seven of murder. In Bagerhat, a ringleader of notorious forest pirate gang was killed and two police constables were injured in a shootout between his accomplices and police in Sundarbans' Nandabala area under Mongla upazila. The deceased was identified as Fashiar Rahman Sanu, 42, chief of notorious 'Sanu Bahini' and son of Shaheb Ali of Khonkarerber village of the upazila. Police recovered one cut rifle, nine rounds of bullet and six cartridges from the spot. Police said Sanu was wanted in four murder and other criminal cases. In Rajshahi, a young man, arrested in connection with the killing of a policeman, died in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in police custody early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Obaidullah, 38, of Atua village in Godagari upazila. bdnews24.com said, an alleged gangster was killed in a so-called 'gunfight' with the police at Mirpur in Dhaka early on Saturday. 'Johnny' alias 'Pathan Johnny', 28, was a member of 'Bikash terror gang', the police claimed. Al Amin, 30, an associate of the slain gangster, was arrested, while two others escaped. Earlier, human rights watchdog Odhikar said 19 people were killed in crossfire with RAB and police in August and most of them occurring in the southwestern region especially in Kushtia. The human-rights organizations have long been asking the government to stop the] killings terming them extra judicial. The High Court on June 29 asked the government to explain why killing without trial in so-called crossfire or encounter will not be declared illegal, and why departmental and criminal actions should not be taken against those who perpetrate such killings in custody and outside. RAB recently said as many as 577 people were killed in 'crossfire' in 472 incidents until Aug 31 since the formation of the elite force on March 26, 2004. Meanwhile, Home minister Sahara Khatun recently said that the ongoing crackdown on outlaws and extremists in the southwest is based on a list prepared by the law-enforcement agencies. "The law-enforcers are carrying out the clampdown as the extremists and terrorists regrouped in the south-western region," the minister told reporters at the Secretariat recently. However, State Minister for Home Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku said recently that nothing like crossfire exists. "The incidents of this sort take place when the law- enforcers try for self-defense during operation against the terrorists," he said. http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/leading%20news.htm |
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