At least 271 people were killed in Benapole in the outgoing year 2014 giving a clear manifestation of the deterioration of law and order. The above information was revealed by a survey conducted by Human Rights organisation, ‘Rights Jessore’. However, the police records showed that 115 murder incidents took place during the period. According to the survey reports, at least 35 people were killed in Benapole in January, 40 people in February, 23 in March, 18 in April, 24 in May, 16 in June, 25 in July, 21 in August, nine in September, 18 in October, 25 in November and 17 in December. Besides, 70 robbery incidents occurred while 101 mugging incidents took place in Benapole during the period. The report also mentioned that at least 193 women and children were trafficked to India through different bordering areas in Benapole last year. Defying the account of Rights Jessore, Assistant Superintendent of Police Reshma Sharmin said the statement of Rights Jessore giving the figures of killing, robbery and mugging incidents is not true. Whenever a crime occurs, police record a case and take decision after investigation; case is recorded in accordance with the type of the crime, she added. If a man or women kills himself or herself, that cannot be counted as a murder, she said. To ascertain the real cause of a suicide, police wait for post-mortem report, she added. Police never file a case as murder case only on the basis of the family’s information, she said further. She also claimed that the law and order situation in the last year was entirely normal. Binoy Krishna Mallik, executive director of Rights Jessore, said they have collected information from newspapers and media across the country. The statistics of murders have been found from the autopsy reports and cases filed over the incidents, he said. – UNB, Dhaka.
