 Eighty-nine people were killed in custody and 1,75,435 were arrested across the country during anti-crime and anti-corruption drives in the first four months of the state of emergency, proclaimed on January 11, said a report of the human rights coalition Odhikar. Forty-nine of the victims were killed by the Rapid Action Battalion, 23 by the police, seven by the joint forces, six by the army and three by the navy between January 12 and May 11. One person was killed in the custody of the Department of Narcotics Control, the report said. | And now, the list. Drum roll, please: |
Of the 89 people, 47 were killed in RAB ‘crossfire’, two died in hospital after being picked up by the battalion, 12 were killed in police ‘crossfire’, five were tortured to death by the police, three were shot dead by the police, one died in police custody, two died in hospital after being arrested by the police, four died reportedly from torture by the army, one died when trying to escape from the custody of the army, one died in hospital after being picked up by the army, three were reportedly tortured to death by the navy, three were reportedly tortured to death by the joint forces, one was killed in ‘crossfire’ with the joint forces, one died in hospital after being picked up by the joint forces, one died when he allegedly jumped from a six storied building in the custody of the joint forces, | Missed the stairs, did he? |
one died after being left at a police station by the joint forces and another was reportedly killed in the custody of the Department of Narcotics Control, the Odhikar report said.
| And that's just in four months. |
Eight of the 89 people killed during the period, four were activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, four of Awami League, six of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddha), four of underground Purba Banglar Communist Party, three of extremist Purba Banglar Communist Party (Red Flag), two of outlawed Biplobi Communist Party, one of extremist New Biplobi Communist Party, two of underground Gana Mukti Fauj, one of Jatiya Samajantrik Dal, three of Sramajibi Mukti Andolan and four of extremist Sarbahara Party, one was a freedom fighter, one was an indigenous leader and another was reportedly an operative of an extremist group, the report said.
Members of different bands of criminals were also among the people killed during the period. Three of them were of Gangchil Bahini, one of Masim Bahini, one of Haji Bahini and one of Salam Bahini. | Bahini clan seems to be big in the band "business" |
Three suspected gunrunners, two alleged muggers, one alleged gambler, two alleged drug peddlers, 10 alleged robbers and 17 other criminals were among the persons killed. Others killed during the period included two farmers, a businessman, a police informer (source), a bus driver (as claimed by his family), a detained bus driver and one whose occupation was unknown. | "We don't know what he did, but he's still dead, Jim" |
Odhikar demanded independent inquiries of all the extra-judicial killings or deaths in custody. It also demanded that the results of all such inquiries should be made public.
Odhikar is also trying to know the condition of freedom fighter Gazi Golam Dastagir, Quamrul Huda and other persons who remain without trace after being arrested or picked up by law enforcement agencies, said the report.
Odhikar also expressed deep concern over the ‘atrocities’ perpetrated on Khalishpur jute mill workers who went on strike demanding their unpaid wages and demanded release of the arrested workers and withdrawal of cases against them. The rights coalition also expressed concern at the ‘atrocities’ perpetrated on the students of Khalishpur who expressed solidarity with the striking jute mill workers. | "Jute workers of the world unite!" |
Odhikar condemned the brief detention of journalist Tasneem Khalil for questioning by the joint forces as an ‘act of intimidation’ [against human rights defenders].
Odhikar conducted two fact-finding missions regarding the killings of ward commissioner Dulal of Charfasson (February 20, 2007) and Farid of Tazumuddin upazila of Bhola (March 21, 2007) in the custody of local naval force. OdhikarÂ’s acting director ASM Nasiruddin Elan was taken to the Naval Headquarters on 3 May, 2007 where Captain Zubayer, director of Naval Intelligence and three others intimidated and harassed him for preparing the reports on the incidents and threatened him with death, the report said.
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