204 EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS IN SIX MONTHS

High Court don’t like extrajudicial killing

Special Correspondent
The High Court on Thursday said it does not like any extrajudicial killing in the country.
The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the remarks when the state counsel placed the progress report on Rifat Sharif killing case.
Rifat Sharif, 22, was hacked to death by miscreants in front of his wife in the district town of Barguna on June 26. The entire incident was captured in a surveillance camera that went viral in social media.
On June 27, the High Court asked the government to issue red alert along the border so that the perpetrators of Rifat murder cannot leave the country.
“Nayon Bond was not made overnight… someone had made him a criminal and nurtured him from behind the scene,” the HC bench observed.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Attorney General Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar placed the progress report of the Barguna DC and SP in connection with the Rifat murder case where he mentioned that a total of five accused in the murder case and four suspects have been arrested in this connection as of today.
Besides, the report said, when police went to arrest an accused on July 2 his supporters opened fire on police, forcing them to fire back. Later, the body of Nayon Bond was recovered from the spot.
204 extrajudicial killings in six month
Earlier on Monday, human rights watchdog Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) in their latest report documented at least 204 extrajudicial killings at the hands of law enforcement agencies across the Bangladesh, during the first six months of 2019.
On an average for this year, every day more than one person fall victim to “extra-judicial killings” by law enforcers, the report pointed out
According to the press release issued by ASK on Monday afternoon, among the victims of “extrajudicial killings”, 59 were killed in ‘crossfire’ with RAB, 92 were killed in crossfire with police, while 12 others were killed at the hands of Detective Branch of police, one with joint forces, one with Coast Guard, and 28 with Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB).
ASK collected the data from nine national dailies, and from their own findings during the period.
The report said, two of the victims were killed due to torture when they were under police custody, while one committed suicide in police custody, another died from illness in RAB custody.
Crime against women
ASK also pointed out that some 735 women were subjected to rape or attempt to rape in first six months of this year, said the report. 630 women were raped, and 105 attempts to rape were reported during the time.
Data shows, at least 37 victims were killed after rape. Seven victims committed suicide after being raped. At the same time one woman committed suicide following attempted rape, and two others tried to commit suicide.
At least 37 minors killed every month
The ASK report depicted a horrific picture of deaths to minors, where at least 37 children were killed every month.
ASK collected information of killings of 203 children, during the time. Of them, 94 of the children killed are between the ages of 13 to18 years.
At least 37 of the deaths are found to be mysterious, the report said.
Some 692 other children were tortured during the period, while 15 boys, and 393 girls fell victim to rape, and 86 girls were victims of attempt to rape.
During the time, 73 children were sexually harassed by their teachers, the report said.
Incidents of mob lynching on the rise
The report illustrated another terrifying data that showed some 36 lynching incidents took place during the first six months of the year. The number of mob lynching incidents in 2018 was 39.
On an average, the country experienced more than three incidents of mob lynching in a month. The country has already experienced more than six mob lynching incidents, almost double than that of the previous year, in terms of a month.