Home Minister Sahara Khatun on Tuesday claimed that no incident of ‘crossfire’ took place in the country since the Awami League-led government took over early this year. “We are not carrying out any crossfire right now. No such incident took place since our government assumed office,” she told journalists after a special law and order meeting at the home ministry.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan today said the death of criminals in 'shootout' with law enforcers does not amount to violation of human rights. He said the deaths in shootout helped curb extortion and criminal activities.
Ninety-seven people have so far been killed in ‘crossfire’ or ‘encounter’ by law enforcers since January 6, when the Awami League-led government assumed office, as such extrajudicial killing goes unabated with the government’s deviation from its pledges to stop such practice. One thousand, one hundred and forty-two people have so far been killed in extrajudicial incidents since June 24, 2004, when the Rapid Action Battalion began its journey with killing people in the name of ‘crossfire.’
The government will need to continue with extrajudicial killing, commonly called ‘crossfire,’ until terrorist activities and extortion is uprooted, said a senior minister in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet. ‘A time will come when it will no longer be required,’ said the shipping minister, Shahjahan Khan, as he answered a question at the BBC’s Bangladesh Sanglap at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Saturday.
At least 300 extremists from 14 southwestern districts have taken shelter in Dhaka city to evade arrest and escape from 'crossfire, by law enforcement agencies. The law enforcing agencies have launched a crackdown on the extremists in Southwestern region of the country following resurgence of their activities in recent times and recovery of seven beheaded bodies during the last three months.
Two more crime suspects were killed in separate incidents of ‘encounter’ with the law enforcers in the district headquarters and at Mirpur in Kushtia early Friday.
The High Court (HC) today issued a rule upon the government to explain within four weeks why extra-judicial killings ‘in the name of crossfire or encounter’ should not be declared illegal.
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On 10th June state home minister and general director of Rapid Action Battalion talked about killing taking place beyond range of law and justice on a talk show of BTV. ‘There are no killings taking place beyond justice', this is what state home minister said just two days back. They have no problem to talk like this.
The European Union's visiting Troïka mission has said the planned trial of war crimes was entirely Bangladesh's affair and stressed that the investigation was "very transparent".
The state minister for home Tanjim Ahmed on Sunday said there had been no extra-judicial killings in the country in the last five months since the Awami League-led government came to power.
