26 killed in ‘crossfire’ in 5 weeks

RAB admits 577 ‘crossfire’ deaths in five and half years
At least 26 people were killed in ‘crossfire’ or shootout with RAB and Police in five weeks from August 1 to September 6. Among them, 19 were killed in August and 7 in last six days. However, Home Minister Sahara Khatun denied that there were extra judicial killings.
According to UNB News Agency, two criminals, including an underground operative of outlawed Gono Bahini, were killed in separate incidents of ‘shootout’ in Kushtia and Faridpur early Sunday.
A regional leader of JSD Gonobahini was killed in an encounter at Anda village in Mirpur upazila in Kushtia early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Abdul Hannan alias Hana, 40, second-in-command of Siraj group of JSD Gonobahini.
In another incident, a top terror was killed in a shootout with RAB members at Krishnapur in Sadarpur upazila in Faridpur early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Toffazal Hossain alias Tafu Khan, 40. He was wanted in several cases including of murder.
Earlier, three people, including two suspected extremists, were killed in encounters with law enforcers in three districts, Khulna, Pabna and Kushtia on September 5. And on September 3, two gunrunners were killed in a shootout with RAB at Bhaturia village in sadar upazila in Jessore.
Earlier, human rights watchdog Odhikar said 19 people were killed in crossfire with RAB and police in August and most of them occurring in the southwestern region. Ten of the victims were activists of outlawed parties.
The human-rights organizations have long been asking the government to stop the killings terming them extra judicial. The High Court on June 29 asked the government to explain why killing without trial in so-called crossfire or encounter will not be declared illegal, and why departmental and criminal actions should not be taken against those who perpetrate such killings in custody and outside.
RAB on last Thursday said as many as 577 people were killed in ‘crossfire’ in 472 incidents until Aug 31 since the formation of the elite force on March 26, 2004.
Meanwhile, according to bdnews24.com, Home minister Sahara Khatun has said that the ongoing crackdown on outlaws and extremists in the southwest is based on a list prepared by the law-enforcement agencies.
“The law-enforcers are carrying out the clampdown as the extremists and terrorists regrouped in the south-western region,” the minister told reporters at the Secretariat.
She claimed that no extra-judicial killing was taking place during the swoop. “Those who are getting killed are dying in gun battles with the police and RAB.” “Will the law-enforcers take bullets trying to detain the extremists?” she snapped at reporters.
“The outlaws, terrorists and militants should be nabbed and they (the law enforcers) will take any measure for that,” the minister said. Security has deteriorated in recent times in the region, which was a ‘death valley’ a few years back, with a number of murders taking place.

Courtesy of The BD Today