Human rights organisation Odhikar has expressed grave concern over continued extra-judicial killings and deaths in custody of law-enforcement agencies.
The members of law-enforcement agencies have been killing people, including suspicious 'criminals', bypassing the due process of law, despite repeated assurances of the government to stop extrajudicial killings, the human rights watchdog said in a press release on Monday.
Odhikar in its monthly report for April demanded that the government should arrange better treatment and compensations for college student Limon Hossain, who became a victim of RAB shooting.
Odhikar also was critical of the shooting at the HSC examinee Limon Hossain, who had to undergo amputation of a leg after being shot by the Rapid Action Battalion on March 23 at Saturia village under Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi district.
The organisation also expressed concern over 'secret' submission of a charge-sheet through a sub-inspector of Rajapur police station against Limon to the court.
The rights watchdog demanded legal action against the members of the law-enforcement agencies, including RAB, responsible for extra-judicial killings and deaths in custody.
The report cited five incidents extrajudicial killing in April and demanded that the government should put an end to such abuse of law. 'The government must bring all people involved in extra-judicial killings to book through proper and independent investigations by an independent investigation committee. The investigation report should also be made public,' it said.
The report mentioned killings of five and injuring 12 Bangladeshi nationals along the border by Indian Border Security Force. The government should take effective measures to stop intrusion and killings by the BSF and also to ensure the security of the people living in the border areas, Odhikar demanded.
It called for appropriate action against the perpetrators following a judicial investigation into the incidents of killing and arson attack in Ramgarh and Manikchari of Khagrachari hill district on April 17.
It asked the state to ensure the security and rights, including those to life and property, of the religious and ethnic minorities.
Odhikar also reported deaths of seven people in jail.
Eighteen people were lynched across the country in April and eight people were killed in political violence, the report said, adding around 1,229 people were also injured in political violence in the month.
Violence against women continued in April with 54 incidents of rape, seven of acid violence, 28 of dowry-related violence, and 56 of sexual harassment or stalking.
Nine newspersons were injured and three were assaulted in April, the report said.
The organisation recommended that the government should refrain from shrinking the space for democratic practices and from repression on political opponents.
It also recommended taking appropriate measures to stop violence against women and ensure punishment to the offenders to ensure that justice was served.
Source: New Age
