THREE of the four youths found shot dead in Narayanganj on Sunday morning were picked up by detectives from the district’s Gausia the previous day, family members claimed after identifying them at a local hospital. They are Jahirul Islam, 24, Faruk Hossain, 35, and Sabuj Sarder, 24, from Dharmagram village in Pabna Sadar upazila, as per a local daily report.
Some people identifying themselves as detectives picked up the three along with Jahirul’s cousin Liton Hossain from Faruk’s house in Gausia of Bhulta, alleged Faruk’s step father Jamal Pramanik. Liton, who also is from Dharmagram, is still traceless. Their families, however, have no idea about their links with the other dead, Lutfor Molla, 42, said to be a microbus driver from the capital’s Rampura Power House area.
Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Rafiquddoula Rafiq of Araihazar Police Station filed two cases yesterday — one for murder and the other under the Arms Act. The four were killed in an exchange of fire between two groups of criminals, as per the case statements. Later, police found the four dead and recovered two pistols with a bullet and a silver-colour Noah microbus from the spot.
The question which begs to be asked is –why were they killed if they did not have any criminal background. No one can take the lives of four men in such a manner. Time and again we have seen this sort of narrative from the police whereby so-called ‘criminals’ are either shot dead by other criminals or shot in ‘cross-fires’ between themselves and the police.
If they were criminals, they should have been produced before a court. It is completely unacceptable that citizens, whether innocent or criminal, are shot dead after they are picked up by persons claiming to be from the security forces.
There must be thorough investigations into these killings. If they are found to have been done by the security forces then the culture of impunity which prevails in our security forces must stop. The principle of action and consequence must be established in our security forces culture.
