[Al Arabiya Latest] The Bangladesh High Court asked the home ministry and security forces on Monday to stop extrajudicial killings of alleged criminals.Spoilsport
Deaths of people detained for alleged criminal links are often reported across the country by security forces who say the prisoners were brought along to assist in purported raids and other action against gangs.
You mean the moonlight drives at O-dark-thirty looking for "arms caches", stumbling upon "cohorts" who wildly open fire, then disappear without a trace leaving the dead bodies of the "suspect" bleeding out after he tried to "escape". You mean those deaths? Never heard of um.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in May that more than 1,000 people had suffered extrajudicial deaths in Bangladesh over the past five years, though the numbers had dropped since a new government took power in January 2009. "The High Court also asked the secretary of the home ministry and chiefs of police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force to explain within the next four weeks why criminal proceedings should not be drawn against such killings," a court registrar told reporters. The order was issued following a petition by three local rights organizations that claimed at least 10 people had been killed during what they said were recent fake encounters in the capital Dhaka alone.
The latest controversy was sparked when two students were killed in Dhaka during an alleged violent encounter between the battalion and criminals early this month.
" The High Court also asked the secretary of the home ministry and chiefs of police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force to explain within the next four weeks why criminal proceedings should not be drawn against such killings "A court registrar |
Home Minister Sahara Khatun said last week all extrajudicial killings would be investigated, but she again said it was a constitutional right of the security forces to retaliate when attacked.
"We was attacked. Honest, you can trust us. One of these days we might even catch one of the guys shooting at us."
HRW urged Bangladesh's democratically elected government to end alleged impunity for unlawful killings. It said the military, the RAB, and the police have been responsible for the killings. According to local rights group Odhikar, 322 people were killed in encounters during the last two years of the interim government ahead of general elections last December. After the election the new Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, announced extrajudicial killings perpetrated during the tenure of the interim government would be investigated.
The RAB was formed in 2004 in the midst of a crime wave and played a key role confronting Islamist militants responsible for a spate of bombings that killed dozens of people, including judges, lawyers, police and officials.
Of course, most of the deaders seem to be commies instead of jihadists.