Murders in ‘crossfire’ without trial will not improve law and order situation, ASK warns government

Rights organisation Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) has alleged the government is resorting to extrajudicial killings to arrest the law and order slide.

In a statement on Wednesday, the body’s Executive Director Sultana Kamal expressed anxiety over the death of a number of persons in so-called ‘shootouts’ with law enforcers over the past week.

At least three of them were members of the ruling Awami League or its associate organisations.

Home Minister Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal defended the ‘encounters on Wednesday.

'There were a number of shootouts. Some people have died in those shootouts. We will not go easy on criminals.'

ASK in its statement said recent comments from the government high-ups and activities of law enforcers betrayed a tendency to control law and order through extrajudicial killings.

“The decision to not let off criminals because they are from the party is definitely positive. But if the strictness is shown through extrajudicial killings instead of due process after detaining criminals, then it would play no role in developing law and order.”

Juba League activist Ajibor Sheikh, accused for the shooting in Magura that led to a child being shot in a mother’s womb, was killed in a ‘shootout’ with the police early on Tuesday.

Chhatra League’s Hazaribagh unit chief Arzu Miya was killed in Dhaka on the same night in what RAB claimed was a ‘crossfire’ with his associates during a raid after his arrest. Mia was accused of lynching a youth on charges of stealing gadgets.

Early on Wednesday Zakir Hossain, accused for the death of an activist during an Awami League factional clash on Aug 15, was killed in another ‘shootout’ with the police.

“Extrajudicial killings are the worst violation of human rights,” the ASK statement added, pointing out that such steps were widely taken to be measures to protect the ‘powerful’ backing criminals.

Rights organisations have long been speaking out against deaths in what RAB and police term ‘shootouts’ and ‘crossfire’, defining them as extrajudicial killings.