NHRC chief warns against extra-judicial killings

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday expressed deep concern over custodial deaths and missing of a few citizens in recent times.
NHRC Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman was talking to reporters after a meeting with law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed at his secretariat office.
Other members of the NHRC were present during the meeting.
Prof Rahman said: “The commission will not tolerate such incidents and it would use its highest legal power to stop incidents of human rights violation.”
The commission would take stern action against those responsible for custodial deaths, the chairman said adding: “Extra-judicial killings or people missing are not acceptable in any civilised country.”
In reply to a query on extra-judicial killings, he said: “Innocent people are being killed under Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police custody. The commission has already told the higher authorities of police and RAB that HR violation and extra-judicial killings will not be accepted.”
No organisation of the law enforcing agencies could arrest any person on its own initiative even if there were a dozen cases against him, the NHRC chairman said.
The commission had already discussed with the top officials of the law-enforcing agencies about extra-judicial killings, he said.
“We have clearly told them that the NHRC won’t tolerate any killing which violates human rights.”
The NHRC was determined to uphold human rights at any cost, he said.
The NHRC chief said they would take a decision on the issue at the commission’s first meeting scheduled to be held today (Thursday).
Meanwhile, Law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed said the government had already taken steps against custodial killings. The ministry had formed a probe committee to investigate the custodial killings under the law enforcing agencies, he added.
“Killing of any person without trial is a crime. Those who are involved in such killings will be brought to justice through proper investigation,” the law minister assured.
“We believe in the rule of law and never want the right any citizen to be curbed,” he said.  
Regarding the NHRC’s proposal for setting its office in every district across the country, he said the government would provide all help to the NHRC so that it could work properly to establish human rights.
The High Court, on July 1, had also expressed its concern saying it would no more tolerate deaths in custody and defiance of its orders to stop such killings.
On Monday, it asked the government to constitute a committee to investigate into custodial deaths.
The Dhaka Metropolitan police commissioner was also asked to submit a report in two weeks on steps taken under the criminal law against those responsible for such deaths.
It also asked the government and police why action should not be taken against the people, responsible for such incidents.
The police chiefs, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors of Gulshan and Dar-us-Salam police stations have been summoned before the court on July 19.
Three officers of the Dar-us-Salam police station were suspended on July 6 on charges of killing an alleged drug peddler in their custody.
 
Courtesy of The Independent