Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB) on Monday called upon the government to take prompt actions for ending extrajudicial killings in the country and demanded a Judicial Commission to neutrally probe the killings and punish the perpetrators with such killing and enforced disappearances. HRFB is a platform of 20 leading rights agencies and has raised the demand in the light of unending atrocities on unarmed people by members of law enforcement agencies – the latest being divulged in the recent horrific killing of retired Major Sinha by OC of Teknaf Police Station.
The bizarre incident has shocked the nation to find that police in uniform and plain clothes have now emerged as terror gangs breaking apart their command and control system. Besides, killing people on political motive on request of political cohorts, they pick up people mainly for extortion of money from local businessmen and then put them on crossfire.
The bizarre incident has shocked the nation to find that police in uniform and plain clothes have now emerged as terror gangs breaking apart their command and control system. Besides, killing people on political motive on request of political cohorts, they pick up people mainly for extortion of money from local businessmen and then put them on crossfire.
Teknaf has emerged as the death valley of such extrajudicial killing in recent time where reports said police are running private hide outs to detain people and torture them to realize money and achieve other business deals. Most police officers posted in Teknaf region are infamous for drug trafficking and also in Cox’s Bazaar area have amassed huge illegal wealth and even bought second homes abroad. It appears that the government has no control over police and other forces at field level because it depends on their unlawful protection to stay on their illegal power.
HRFB figure shows from January to August 25 this year, some 210 people were victims of gunfights in the country, 588 were killed between May 2018 and August 25 this year. Separate figures said some 287 were killed in shootouts in anti-narcotics drive in last two years in Cox’s Bazar which includes 161 killed alone in Teknaf area. We agree that there may be many drug traffickers but they can’t be denied of a fair judicial process. Law enforcers put them on crossfire to hide out their crimes. We can’t allow it to happen in a civilized society.
The human rights organisations failed to impact on extrajudicial killings more than political. For the police it has become an easy way of extorting money. The truth is the people are so frightened that they dare to report but to whom. Bangladesh is worst victim of human rights although we have the largest number human rights bodies.
Where the law is what government thinks it is useless to expect anything good from money making human rights bodies. They give publicity to secret killings but they do not go deep and attack the system where police are politically used and the judiciary lacks strength. The human rights bodies do not have tell us about human rights violations. We suffer. Human rights bodies need tracing and knowledge where to attack for stopping human rights violations. The state power has become so awesomely powerful that without internal role human rights violations are too easy.
Where the law is what government thinks it is useless to expect anything good from money making human rights bodies. They give publicity to secret killings but they do not go deep and attack the system where police are politically used and the judiciary lacks strength. The human rights bodies do not have tell us about human rights violations. We suffer. Human rights bodies need tracing and knowledge where to attack for stopping human rights violations. The state power has become so awesomely powerful that without internal role human rights violations are too easy.
The human rights organisations must act as internal lobbyists for organising international support. The need is to have freely elected government and independent judiciary for the protection of human rights and not just set futile statements.
