2,279 peoples were killed on eight months: Crossfire & govt. statement

By Jahangir Alam Akash, Another two peoples were killed by the state in Bangladesh. State organized killings agencies RAB was the killers, but they don’t want to say ‘killings’, they said ‘the criminals were died after gunfight.’ With this, the death toll of the operatives of different outlawed parties in the district from "crossfire" reaches 18 in last 15 days. A total of 683 "crossfire" incidents took place in 10 southwestern districts since 2004. Kushtia tops the list with 239 incidents alone. On the other hand government source said, 2,279 people were killed in eight months of present government regime.


Bangladeshi print media wrote that, two alleged criminals, including a leader of an outlawed party, were shot dead in separate "shootouts" with the law enforcers in Rampura of the capital and Kushtia on 10th September, 2009. They are Bappi, 23, an accomplice of Jishan, one of 23 top listed criminals, in Rampura, and Sohel Hasan alias Tukun, 36, of Daulatpur upazila, in Kushtia. Source: the daily Star, 11-9-2009.

Sources said, a gang opened fire on RAB personnel when a team of RAB-1, after a tip-off, tried to enter an under-construction building on DIT Road at around 12:30am, Rampura police said. Bappi with his four to five gang members was staying there. As the RAB personnel retaliated, a gunfight ensued. Both sides fired around 50 rounds, RAB sources said. Police recovered Bappi's body lying on the spot after the shootout and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. They arrested Abid Hossain Saikat, 30, an accomplice of Bappi, Rab sources said. RAB personnel ASI Rukan Uddin sustained bullet injury in the incident. A revolver, a shot gun and three bullets were recovered from the spot. Officer in-charge of Rampura Police Station Ali Ahmed Hashmi said Bappi was accused in 10 cases filed with different police stations in the city. In Kushtia, Tukun, a regional leader of Janajuddho faction of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party, was killed at Khalishakundi village in Daulatpur upazila. On information, a joint team of Daulatpur police and RAB-12 raided Khalishakundi bazaar at around 4:00am. The outlaws were holding a meeting there. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the criminals opened fire on them triggering a gunfight. Tukun was found dead after his accomplices managed to flee the scene. Police recovered one LG, five bullets and a sword from the spot. He was accused in six cases including four for murder filed with Daulatpur and Mirpur police stations.

Peoples of the Bangladesh are very well known that, RAB always giving totally false statement about extra judicial killings.

‘Statement of state minister for home’

State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tukuon 10th September, 2009 said the government would go tough against the outlaws in the southwest if they don't return to normal life.

“They should grab the opportunity of the present democratic system. If not, the government will intensify the ongoing crackdown in the region to capture them,” Tuku added.

He said this while talking to reporters at his secretariat office after a meeting with US Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Michael S Owen. Tuku said they had a discussion on a wide range of issues. The US official offered training and technical assistance to the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), he added. Owen also met Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque at his office at the secretariat and discussed how to combat the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh and build food security. Owen, who came to Dhaka on Wednesday on a two-day visit, concluded his visit to Bangladesh on 10th September, 2009.

‘Statement of home minister’

The home minister, Sahara Khatun, on 10th Septebmer, 2009 told the parliament 2,279 people were killed in eight months with the highest number of 360 killings under the Khulna police range. She said 201 killings had taken place in the Dhaka metropolitan area. She, however, claimed it was not true that law and order had deteriorated. In reply to a question of BNP lawmaker Lutfur Rahman, she said 45 people had been killed by India’s Border Security Force after the assumption of office by the Awami League-led government on January 6. Source: the New Age, 11-9-2009.

Sources said, home minister told, the government has not given any compensation to any of the families of the victims, but the government is considering the matter. The home minister, during the question-answer session in the parliament with the deputy speaker, Shawkat Ali, in the chair, said 873 cases were filed in connection with 2,279 killings and 864 people were arrested. In reply to a question of BNP lawmaker Ashraf Uddin Nizan, she said law and order had not deteriorated. She said law enforcers were conducting a special two-month drive against extremists in the south-west. She also said all the authorities concerned had been asked to keep law and order on the occasion of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja. In reply to a question of ruling Awami League lawmaker Tajul Islam, the home minister said the government, after its assumption of office, arrested 113 religious extremists, who include two foreigners. She said 51 of them belonged to Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, 37 to Hizb-ut Tahrir, 23 to Hizbullah and two to foreign extremist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. Sahara, replying to a supplementary question of ruling party lawmaker Illias Mollah abut extortion over telephone, said the home ministry had held several meetings with the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited on ways to curb such extortion. She said the Awami League-led government was determined to stop disruption in tender process by political party activists, extortion and crimes. The government is also taking steps so that the police can act in a neutral, professional manner.

Home minister also in replying to a question of Mahzabin Morshed, told the house the home ministry was preparing an anti-terrorism strategic paper and had taken effective measures in this regard under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008. In reply to a question of ruling party lawmaker Sheikh Afil Uddin, she said the government had plans to network all the police stations with computers and 105 police stations were in the final stages of such computerisation. In reply to a question of Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, she said the government had decided to withdraw 449 politically motivated cases completely and 16 cases partially. The cases include a case against filed against BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed. Sahara, in reply to a question of ruling party lawmaker Safiqul Islam, said there was manpower crisis in the police force and the government had decided to increase the manpower to 32,031 in phases by 2011. In reply to another question of Lutfur Rahman, Sahara said 80,699 people were in 67 jails, having the capacity to accommodate 28,420 people.

We want to say very clearly, state or government never could do killings. But, in Bangladesh extra judicial killings has been going on from 2004. When many countries in the world now stopped and some of countries trying to stopped death penalty then in Bangladesh have no right to life.

Killings in the name of so-called Crossfire, encounter or gunfight are not a solution to combat terrorism. To combat terrorism at first need to stop the political patronization to the terrorists. 11-9-2009