Staff Reporter :
Human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) on Thursday claimed that despite the continuation of the trend of progress in economic, social and cultural rights in 2018, human rights, speech of freedom and political rights had not improved.
Like the past years, the overall human rights situation of the year 2018 was extremely alarming, its statement said.
ASK said that 2018 marked the highest number of extrajudicial killings in the country’s history, numbering 466.
Among them, 292 were during the anti-narcotics drive alone that began since May and continued till the national election in December 30, it said.
In 2017, the number of such killings amounted to 162, the group’s ASK’s Executive Director Sheepa Hafiza said on rights situation of Bangladesh. “We want investigation into all extra-judicial killings,” she said.
There were732 incidents of rape; 63 murders and 7 suicides after rape,
abuse of 1,011 children, 283 murders and 108 suicides after abuse and
67 cases of murder in different political violence.
Election violence killed 34. Among them, Awami League was 19, BNP 4 and 10 commoners.
Regarding the incident of rape of women and children, Sheepa Hafiza said, “We haven’t seen effective trial and punishment and that is why these crimes are recurring.”
A combined effort from the government and the general people is required to create a culture of human rights in the country, she added.
