Gulam Rabbani :
At least 151 people have been killed in first eleven months of the year 2017 in the name of ‘crossfire’ and ‘encounter’ by the law enforcing agencies, says Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK).
According to ASK’s latest report, extra-judicial killing in the hands of law enforcers is still continuing across the country. Of the total 151 people, 91 have been killed under crossfire before arrest while 26 in custody.
Legal experts said that any kind of extra-judicial killing is unconstitutional. And our Constitution has given rights of life to everyone.
They said the government has the responsibility to ensure security of life of all citizens of the country. Otherwise, people’s confidence on the law enforcing agencies may reduce to a great extent.
Article 32 of our Constitution says, ‘No person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty save in accordance with law.’
Article 31 says, ‘To enjoy the protection of the law, and to be treated in accordance with law, and only in accordance with law, is the inalienable right of every citizen, wherever he may be, and of every other person for the time being within Bangladesh, and in particular no action detrimental to the life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law.’
Giving a break-up, the report of this human rights organization said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has cross fired 30 people, Police 73, DB Police 13, RAB and Police one.
The report also said, police killed four people torturing them physically before arrest during this time. RAB, Police, DB Police, and BGB/Police killed eight people torturing them physically in custody.
One people died of heart attack while in custody after arrested by RAB and two people committed suicide in police custody, it said.
RAB, Police, RAB, and Police and Army killed 16 in shootouts before arrest and police killed one people in shootout after arrest. One people died of sick in custody and another one person’s death was mysterious under the same custody, the report mentioned.
An earlier ASK report said, a total 195 people were killed in 2016 by the law enforcing agencies.
Senior Advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court and former President of Supreme Court Bar Association Khandker Mahbub Hossain said, any kind of extra-judicial killing is unconstitutional. Our Constitution has given rights of life to everyone.
The veteran lawyer also said that government knew the law enforcers who were involved with these killings. So they should take action against them.
Human rights activist Advocate Monzill Morshid said, “There is no scope of killing anyone without legal procedure. Our Constitution has given everybody the rights of life. If anyone commits any crime, he/she has to be brought under the law.”
Monzil said, “But now, many people are going to die in the hands of law enforcement agencies. Some of them are being killed in extra-judicial process. This is totally unconstitutional. The government has the responsibilities to give security to the citizens of the country. That is why they should control the law enforcers, otherwise peoples’ confidence on the law enforcers may reduce,” Monzill said.
