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Bangladesh
Killing in ŽcrossfireŽ causing concern
2009-05-30
[Bangla Daily Star] Despite repeated protests at home and abroad, extra-judicial killings by the law enforcers continue unabated, causing concern among the people. Apart from constituting human rights violation, killings in the name of 'crossfire' or 'encounter' raise questions over the law enforcers' training and skills in handling firearms.
They appear to be handling their weapons just fine. But that wasn't really the question, was it?
Sources said around 800 people were killed in 'crossfire' or 'encounter' across the country since 2004. Of them, 570 were killed by the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and the rest by the police.
And we've counted most of them ...
Some 70 people were shot during 'gunfight' with police and Rab in last one month.

Rab sources said 458 people were killed in 'crossfire' between December 31, 2004, and December 31, 2007, while over a hundred others were killed in 2008 and another 24 in the last four months. Moreover, around 200 people were killed by the police in 'crossfire' in the last five years.

The latest killings of two students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute by Rab members have raised questions, as not a single general diary was filed against them with any police station. Zinnah Ali, a third year student of mechanical department, and Mohsin Sheikh, a final year student of electrical department, were killed in an 'encounter' on Manik Mia Avenue at around 12:30am Thursday. Rab-2 personnel claimed that the two had fired first, prompting them to retaliate.

Locals however said they did not hear any gunshot during the time mentioned.

The institute's Principal Prof Shamsul Alam said as far as he knows not a single general diary was filed against the two.

Meanwhile, a source at the Rab headquarters said a departmental probe was going on to look into the incident.

Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad has denied the allegations of abuse of power by the law enforcers. "Members of police and Rab have been given firearms to use against criminals. They are not killing any innocent people," he said.
That's not exactly a denial ...
"Killings in crossfire or encounter are not a new phenomenon. There is no instance of killing of any innocent person in crossfire," the IGP said adding that law enforcers have the right to self-defence.
"C'mon, man. Those cadres are fierce! And stealthy!"
Human rights activist Sultana Kamal, also former adviser to a caretaker government, told The Daily Star, "Extra-judicial killings in the name of crossfire or encounter cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
But you've they've tolerated it for the last five years ...
"If they want to say they kill people to save themselves, it would bring into question their training, skills and orientation as well as the abuse of firearms bought with the money of the people."

"We saw most of the victims had received bullets behind their ears in their chests or heads, not in legs," she said.

The former adviser said the incidents of 'crossfire' or 'encounter' prove that the law enforcers have been abusing power. She also said the ruling Awami League in its manifesto pledged not to put up with extra-judicial killings, but it has not made good on the promise.

Former IGP SM Shahjahan, also former adviser to a caretaker government, said, "The law enforcers do have the right to act in self defence, but they must be more cautious to avoid killings in custody."
"Make sure you plug them behind the ears before you cuff them, not after."
"Yes sir, Captain!"
"The practice of custodial deaths must not be tolerated as it is the duty of the law enforcers to protect the people in their custody. Steps should be taken to prevent such incidents," the former IGP said.

He also demanded judicial enquiry into the incidents of 'crossfire' and 'encounter'.
The enquiry to begin at 2:30 am, behind the sawmill.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni yesterday said the government wants to put an end to the culture of 'crossfire killings', but that may not be possible overnight. "We're trying to stop it," she said in reaction to a journalist's comment that killings in 'crossfire' are on the rise despite her announcement at an UN meeting in Geneva that her government would show zero tolerance to extra-judicial killings.

Asked if the government has control over the law enforcement agencies in this regard, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud said the government does not support extra-judicial killings and has given necessary instructions to the law enforcers.
Posted by:Fred

#20  
Redneck Jim, you are being an asshole.

STOP IT NOW.

Yes, life is far from perfect in these United States at the moment. There is crime and corruption and very, very bad manners. But you know what? There always has been, and always will be, so long as we remain analog meat creatures with biochemical thinking processes. As for what it would be like should we actually all become electrons in the universal machine, that sounds like a perfect Hell to me, but I'm funny that way.

Stop talking like an asshole, and start behaving like the gentleman you really are. Or by God, I will ban you myself. This is your very, very last warning.
Posted by: trailing wife   2009-05-30 22:19  

#19  As far as Movies Go, try "Quigly down under", he did the right thing and was entirely against the (Corrupt) Law doing it.

And again, you miss the point.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-05-30 20:19  

#18  And I take strong exception for being called an "asshole" for stating the truth

I didn't call you an asshole; that was one of the types that get banned if they're repetitive.

I implied that I consider a poster a chronic jerk.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-05-30 20:17  

#17  Oh, HIM I don't trust with a Rapid Action Battalion.

And since he's been elected king and I haven't, well, everyone else is going to have to do without a RAB.

Sorry!
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2009-05-30 20:14  

#16  as long as I was the elected king and everyone else was a peon just getting by week-to-week.

Sounds like Obama...
Posted by: badanov   2009-05-30 19:42  

#15  A Rapid Action Battallion would be a great idea for the US, as long as I was the elected king and everyone else was a peon just getting by week-to-week.

I mean, the rest of y'all are all a bunch of corrupt jerks, but I'm more pure and I am more confident of my ability to resist corruption and make the right decisions.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2009-05-30 19:40  

#14  And I take strong exception for being called an "asshole" for stating the truth.

The fact is that even mods at Rantburg get jerked back harder than a dog on a choke chain.

And like a dog on a choke chain, the smart ones learn a lesson, but the dogs who won't; well their neck chafes a lot.

So take a lesson; be a man and back down for once.
Posted by: badanov   2009-05-30 19:19  

#13  As far as Movies Go, try "Quigly down under", he did the right thing and was entirely against the (Corrupt) Law doing it.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-30 19:19  

#12  Honestly, and no bullshit, I see NO oversight on Judges here, whatever is supposedly in place is simply NOT WORKING.
And lawyers run rampant.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-30 19:16  

#11  "Hang Em High"

nice ref, Pappy. RJ: You don't want a one-size-fits-all justice, you should want a strict law with good judges with the wisdom to implement fairly. Unlike hanging the two boys with Bruce Dern
Posted by: Frank G   2009-05-30 19:08  

#10  And I take strong exception for being called an "asshole" for stating the truth.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-30 19:04  

#9  OK, explain congressman Murtha, President Obama (Who's NOT an American despite the laws)
just how were these individuals "Brought to justice?

Oh that's right, they weren't, Murtha's banned from prosecution because he's a senator, and Obama's also "Above the law? so explain please pappy, just How does this "Justice" thingy really work, when SOME folks are exempt?
HMMMM.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-30 19:00  

#8  Yes pappy I got the hint, how dare I state what's widely known, or (HINT) I'll be banned.

No, no you didn't get the hint.

Crooks today , and you want to ban me for showing it needs fixing?

"Crooks today"? Apparently you slept through History class, boyo.

Let's try this: Mods ban posters when they are trolls, spammers, or assholes. But the mods can't ban them if they troll or are an asshole once - or twice. I also can't ban a poster because I think they're a chronic jerk and "some folk just need killin'".

The point being that if the rule of law gets suspended for one case, eventually it gets suspended in a lot of cases. And it doesn't get rid of the corrupt (Bangladesh), or worse- creates a new batch of crooks who are in charge. Read up on the French and Russian Revolutions for examples. There's plenty of others.

Or if you don't want to read, just watch "Hang 'Em High".
Posted by: Pappy   2009-05-30 18:17  

#7  Yes pappy I got the hint, how dare I state what's widely known, or (HINT) I'll be banned.

You gonna ban everybody who's fed up with what we laughingly call Rule of LAW, when it badly needs to be changed.

Crooks today are NOT punished, the bad guys either buy their way out, are too prominent in government to arrest/sue, or are immune because they hold office, and you want to ban me for showing it needs fixing?
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-30 17:40  

#6  Steve said it well.

Further, if you can't get a perp for Crime A, get'm for Crime B. I work in the frod you nit for a particularly reviled gubmint agency (The Deep Art Mint of So-called Services) and many of our clients have many irons in the fire. OK, so we couldn't prove well fair frod, but we did get'm on probashun violation, drugg fellini, par hole violation or some other thing. There's more than one way to skin a cheat.
Posted by: Gabby   2009-05-30 17:01  

#5  And I would prefer to keep the rule of law, democracy, human rights and respect for 99% of my neighbors, and NOT live in a shit-hole.

The chances of that decreased significantly last November.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2009-05-30 15:58  

#4  Steve, that's good 95% of the time. Still, we've all seen blatant criminality take place without the culprits being held accountable. Congress is the prime example, but it's rampant in this country. That's because we've become a nation of lawyers, instead of a nation of laws. When people "in the right place" can get away with anything, including murder, due to their political clout, it's time for a very few, very rare, and obviously needed extra-judicial killings. There's no other way to thin the criminal class.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2009-05-30 12:53  

#3  Some people just need Killin' Banning.

And you can thank the 'Rule of Law' that it happens rarely here.

Get the hint?
Posted by: Pappy   2009-05-30 12:46  

#2  Um no.

We laugh at and make fun of the RAB. We have some sympathy for them because of the situation B'desh is in.

But let's always remember that what the RAB does is extra-judicial killing. They do it because B'desh is not a democracy governed by the rule of law.

It's a shit-hole, in fact.

And I would prefer to keep the rule of law, democracy, human rights and respect for 99% of my neighbors, and NOT live in a shit-hole.

So no thanks. I prefer arrests, trials, lawyers, evidence, court rules, and just punishments.
Posted by: Steve White   2009-05-30 10:55  

#1  We badly need a RAB (Or "International Exports') Here in the USA. Some people just need Killin'.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2009-05-30 04:52  

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