DHAKA: Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a news release on January 27, urged the government of Bangladesh to conduct an independent investigation into a recent spate of alleged extrajudicial killings by security forces.

It also said: “The government should publicly order law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of all those taken into custody.”

The release said, “Joint Forces consisting of the Bangladesh Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Border Guards Bangladesh continue to arrest opposition supporters, some of whom are accused of involvement in violent protests before and during the January 5, 2014 elections which were boycotted by opposition parties. Security forces claim that the deaths after arrest occurred during “crossfire,” which Human Rights Watch has previously documented is used by security forces as a common euphemism to describe what they claim to be shootouts, but which in reality appears to be the killing of people already in detention.”

Asia director of the HRW Brad Adams said, “We are seeing a frightening pattern of supposed ‘crossfire’ killings of opposition members in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government needs to ensure proper control of the security forces and order an independent and credible investigation into these deaths.”

In each case the police said they only opened fire after coming under attack.

HRW called on the government to publicly order the security forces to follow the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which state that security forces shall “apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms.”

Section 22 states that: “Governments and law enforcement agencies shall establish effective reporting and review procedures for all incidents... In cases of death and serious injury or other grave consequences, a detailed report shall be sent promptly to the competent authorities responsible for administrative review and judicial control.”

Section 23 states that: “Persons affected by the use of force and firearms or their legal representatives shall have access to an independent process, including a judicial process. In the event of the death of such persons, this provision shall apply to their dependents accordingly.”

“The situation in Bangladesh is spiraling into a human rights crisis, with the possible return of suspicious killings by security forces, which we haven’t seen in recent years,” Adams added.

Source: HRW
BDST: 1148 HRS, JAN 28, 2014