Political violence in Bangladesh left 153 dead in 2015, says ASK

Political violence in Bangladesh claimed 153 lives in 2015, according to Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK).

The human-rights organisation made a report from news published in national newspapers, it said in a media release on Thursday, the last day of 2015.

A total of 865 politically violent incidents occurred in the year, the ASK said.

These incidents caused deaths to 153 and injuries to 6,318 people.

As many as 192 people died in so-called 'crossfire' or in custody of law-enforcing agencies, claimed the report.

Mobs lynched 135 people, it said.

The ASK statistics also said 104 residences of Hindus were vandalised and set on fire. Six business structures, 213 idols, Puja mandaps and temples of Hindus were vandalised and/or set on fire.

Sixty people were injured in the incidents.

India’s Border Security Force killed 32 people on the frontiers, said the ASK. The BSF also tortured 14 to death and injured 73. They abducted 59 people.

Sixty-nine people died in custody in 2015, said the ASK. Of them, 27 were convicted and 42 were in lock-up.

Of the 35 acid-violence victims in the year, three died, the ASK report said.

It added that 10 women committed suicide in 2015 after facing sexual assault. Five women and a man were killed because of their protest against  sexual harassment.

A total of 304 others were sexually harassed.

In 2015, 752 women were raped and 60 were killed after rape. Two women committed suicide on being violated. The number of women who faced rape attempts is 94.

Twelve women were tortured in arbitration and fatwa, said the report.

It said 63 house helps fell victims to torture and seven of them died. The cause of death of 27 house helps in 2015 could not be known.

Demand for dowry claimed lives of 187 women. Besides the murders, 101 were tortured and 10 committed suicide, said the report.

A total of 373 women faced domestic violence. Of them, 273 were murdered, 54 committed suicide and 46 were tortured.