LISTED Yaba trader Saiful Karim was killed in a “gunfight” in Cox’s Bazar on Friday. But refuting the claim, victim’s family members said Saiful was in the police custody since May 25. Gunfights or crossfire, whatever it may be, is a gross violation of human and Constitutional rights of a citizen. It’s an illegitimate means of executing accused instead of undergoing the legal procedure. Human rights campaigners across the world expressed their discontent for violation of citizens’ rights.
Cox’s Bazar police said they arrested Saiful from the Marine Drive in the tourist town on Thursday. However, other sources said Saiful, wanted in seven cases, was picked up by law enforcers from Dhaka airport on May 25 on his arrival from Myanmar. He had fled there after the government declared a war on the drug in May last year. Police said that during interrogation Saiful revealed that a big consignment of Yaba was being smuggled into Bangladesh from Myanmar through the Naf River. Police then took Saiful to raid the area to seize the pills. Sensing police presence, the Yaba kingpin’s associates opened fire, prompting police to fire back, triggering a gunfight. Four injured policemen were taken to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex. Such official statement from police has become a routine work.
It is certain that Saiful gave investigators the names of his patrons. His death in the “gunfight” comes a day after media reported his patrons include some top police officials. Victim’s widow Jesmin Akter claimed there were no Yaba pills with her husband when police arrested him. She demanded a fair investigation into her husband’s killing.
We earlier have penned down several times that, killings of criminals without facing judicial procedure cannot be a method of eliminating crime. Dozens of petty drug peddlers have so far been killed by the law enforcers since declaring war against drug last year. Strangely, no big godfather was nabbed.
