It is indeed heartening to know that the government has taken into cognisance the complaints of rights groups and the family of Teknaf Councillor Ekramul Haque with a probe underway in the controversial killing of the politician.
When the daughters of Ekramul were wailing after losing their beloved father, I could feel the pain. He cannot be brought back even, if it’s proved that an innocent man was killed taking advantage of the nationwide anti-drug operation.
A judicial magistrate will lead the inquiry in to the death of Ekramul, according to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
The councillor’s family and everybody linked to the incident must cooperate with the probe, who also must present the facts, and nothing but the facts to the government and Ekramul’s family.
“Ekram’s family is yet to file an official complaint and provide law enforcers with the audio clip. But still a magistrate will probe the incident and actions will be taken based on his findings,” the minister said recently.
Five days after Ekram was killed on the night of May 26, his family claimed at a news conference on Friday that he was killed in cold blood, not as claimed by the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) during anti-drug operation.
The family distributed an audio clip to reporters of conversation between the slain councillor and his daughter and wife before he died. The audio recorded on a mobile phone also captured sounds of gunshots and groans of a dying man. This has gone viral on the social networks.
“If anyone has done anything wrong then he will be brought to justice. Let me make it clear and repeat that no one is above the law,” the home minister was quoted as saying and we want him to keep his promise.
Why we need a report based only on facts without trying to favour any side?
Firstly, the government launched the operation and it has been welcomed from all corners. But one or two controversial incidents take away all the credit.
Secondly, if controversial killings take place, rights groups along with opposition political parties exploit the situation, tarnishing the government’s image.
Thirdly, those who resort to targeted killings to serve personal gains are anti-state elements and must face severest punishment.
As many as 13,000 arrests have been made during the anti-drug drive, Kamal said before adding: “Between 33 to 35 percent of the nearly 85,000 prisoners are accused of narcotics charges.”
Those taking part in the operation must be trained to be humane and taught that every life matters, the dead cannot be brought back if proved wrong later.
Such drives are essential as we saw in the Philippines where there was no distinction between drug lords and petty dealers. However, such drives must have a humane face and must be acceptable to all.
For any future drive, I propose that a list must be first prepared, investigated and then approved by relevant officials before going into action. Then, there will be no room for mistaken or targeted killings.
Let us hope the operation will root our drug menace which is destroying our present and future generations at a time when Bangladesh was on the fast track to development.

Nadeem Qadir is the Roving Editor at The Asian Age and a UN Dag Hammarskjöld fellow.