At least 33 people were killed extrajudicially in the first three months of 2011 of whom 28 were killed in so-called ‘crossfire’, cites the January-March quarterly report of rights organisation Odhikar.
The organisation called on the government to bring all involved in extrajudicial killings before justice and demanded that extrajudicial killings must be stopped as per the election manifesto of the ruling party and the declaration made by the government at the UN Human Rights Council.
The report said five people, including adolescent girl Felani, were killed by Indian Border Security Force in the first three months of the year while 30 people were tortured by them along the Indo-Bangladesh frontier.
The rights group demanded investigation into all killings and torture of Bangladeshi citizens, including Felani, by the Indian BSF and asked the government to realize adequate compensation for the families of the victims from the Indian government and trial and punishment of the perpetrators.
The report cited 38 deaths in custody, 37 incidents of lynching by mob in the three months.
It also reported that 30 people were killed and 2,527 injured in political violence across the country.
The organization said the government should be responsive and transparent in order to stop political violence and the law enforcement agencies need to be proactive to stop violence and carry out their duty in an independent, unbiased manner.
It also urged the government to refrain from shrinking the scope for the practice of democracy and abstain from repression on opponent political activists.
The report said incidents of violence against women have been increasing due to the fact that most of the perpetrators were not being punished.
Violence against women continued with 127 incidents of rape, 203 incidents of sexual harassment or stalking, 104 incidents of dowry-related violence and 29 incidents of acid violence in the three months.
In the three months, some 20 journalists were injured, 20 were threatened and 10 were assaulted.
The report cited that two workers of readymade garments were killed and 319 were injured while protesting for realising their wages and allowances in the three months.
Odhikar observed post-mortem examinations in relation to deaths due to torture and ill-treatment were not being conducted accurately. As a result, incidents of beatings or torture are often passed off in the autopsy reports as death caused by ‘illness, ‘suicide’ or ‘accident’.
Appropriate action must be taken against doctors and officers if the post-mortem are not conducted in a proper manner, said the report, citing anomaly in post-mortem of Hena, who was lashed to death by clergy in Shariyatpur.
The rights group expressed concern at random withdrawal of criminal cases under ‘political consideration’ and the president’s clemency for convicted prisoners which only make people lose confidence in the judiciary.
Odhikar expressed concern over the stance taken by the government regarding the struggle for self-determination of oppressed people, citing the arson attacks on ethnic minority villages at Rangipara and Gulishakhali in Langadu of Rangamati district.
It also urged the government to take immediate action in order to ensure human rights and peace for the ethnic minority communities and Bangalis in Chittagong Hill Tracts, failing which the situation might become unstable.
