Vigilante justice worries rights activists

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Amanur Rahman Roney
Published : 23:56, Mar 08, 2019 | Updated : 13:10, Mar 09, 2019

‘Crossfire’ and ‘gun fight’ have been eclipsed by ‘Hercules’ the unknown vigilante justice provider responsible for deaths of several men accused of rape.
Human rights workers claim that all three belong to the same category and fall under extrajudicial killing.
These are crimes and the state has to find out those who are behind the killing, using the name of Hercules.
As per Bangla Tribune information, from May last year till Feb 5, a total of 320 persons were killed in ‘crossfire’ and all of them were accused of having links with the drug trade.
In some cases, people were killed in a gunfight between two groups.
Though the cases lodged do not mention any names.
The report on ‘gunfights’ usually categorises them as fire exchanged between two militant groups or gunfight between miscreants.
Police claim that these ‘gunfights’ did not involve law enforcers.
Bangla Tribune information states that from May 2018 till 15 February last, 107 persons were killed in ‘gunfights’.
Police says that 85 were killed as a result of ‘gunfights’ involving drug traders, 22 during a fight with miscreants.
Human rights activists claim that these killings are suspicious and most of them are extrajudicial.
Former adviser of the caretaker government and human rights activist, Sultana Kamal, says that it’s the duty of the government to investigate such killings and unearth the truth.
On 17 January last, police recovered the dead body of Ripon, a rape case accused and nine days later, another dead body of Sajal, also a rape case criminal, was found in Jhalakathi.
Both were shot dead.
The dead body of Ripon carried a note saying, “I am a rapist and a similar paper was also found on the body of Sajal which read, I am a rapist and this is my fate.”
Ripon’s father claims that his son was taken by a few people in civil dress though the detective branch refuted the claims.
On 25 May, 2006, Tunda Ismail was killed in police cross fire and that year, a writ was lodged at the high court. Till today, a response to that ruling of the writ has not come.
Efforts for hearing are also lackadaisical.
Chairman of the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, advocate Manzil Morshed, says, “We have not received the response to the ruling issued in 2006 as yet.”
Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Kazi Reazul Huq, says, “such a half-hearted approach in finding killers is not acceptable at all; otherwise, the killers will take advantage of this.”
After a series of killings by Hercules, home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, said, “The state does not want anyone to be killed; those who are carrying out vigilante justice are not doing any favour to society.”
AIG of police, Sohel Rana commented, “All the cases are under investigation and the real identity of the killers will be revealed after they are complete.”

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