Staff Reporter :
At least 128 people were killed in ‘crossfire’ with the law enforcers in 2014 compared with 72 in 2013 across the country, said the annual report of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK).
A total of 88 incidents of forced disappearance took place in 2014. “Of the victims, 12 returned alive, two were arrested while 23 of them died. A large number of people are still missing,” said ASK’s Executive Director Sultana Kamal while placing the report on human rights situation in the country at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on Wednesday.
“Some 147 people were killed in 664 incidents of political violence in 2014 and 8373 others received injuries. Some 24 people were killed in incidents of violence, centering January 5 polls, while 11 were killed during upazila elections,” she said.
“Miscreants have vandalised and set fire to 761 houses of the people of the minority community. Besides, some 193 business establishments were also attacked.”
“The members of BNP-Jamaat alliance did it in 13 districts, centering the January 5 polls between January 1 and 6.”
The report also mentioned that 13 people had been killed in police custody this year while two were killed in police beating during the arrest attempts.
“One person also committed suicide in jail fearing severe police torture,” said the report.
The number of the border killings stood at 273 while the custodial death at 60 this year, the report said.
The report further showed that two journalists were killed while 78 others were tortured in 2014.
