A Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-jasod leader was killed during an anti-drug drive by the police on Friday night at Bheramara upazila in Kusthia.
A Jasod press release issued on Saturday claimed that the police brutally beat Chandipur ward Jasod leader Rafiqul Islam Dudu and broke his neck and threw him from over a bridge on Friday night although he had no police case or聽 complaint against him.
Jasod demanded exemplary punishment of the police personnel responsible for the extrajudicial killing of Rafiqul, also the brother of Jasod Chandgram union unit general secretary Mustafizur Rahman, the聽 release stated.
Bheramara police officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam said that Rafiqul Islam Dudu, 45, who ran a tea stall in the area and had allegations against him of drug peddling.
鈥榃e don鈥檛 know he is a Jasod leader or not. We ran an anti-drug drive and as he saw the police, he jumped from a bridge. Local people recovered him with injuries and took him to the upazila health complex where duty doctors declared him dead,鈥� the officer told 抖阴精品 on Saturday.聽
He said that the victim鈥檚 body was buried on Saturday following autopsy.
The officer-in-charge also said that the local people during the late evening drive held three police members. A team of Bangladesh Army and Border Guard Bangladesh rescued them and handed them over to the police station at about 3:00am on the day.
Bheramara upazila health and family planning officer Mizanur Rahman told 抖阴精品 that the police brought Rafiqul Islam dead at the upazila health complex at about 8:00pm on Friday.
鈥榃e have not found any injury marks in his body. We have sent the body to Kushtia General Hospital for autopsy to find the exact cause of death,鈥� Mizanur added.
According to rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra, 3,973 people died in reported crossfire allegedly during encounters with members of law enforcement and security agencies and also in their custody between January 2004 and June 2024.
Of them, 2,032 people were killed allegedly during gunfights with the police and while held in their custody, as reported by the police, Ain O Salish Kendra data shows. It also shows that 94 people among the total 3,973 deaths occurred during the joint custody of the Rapid Action Battalion and the police.
At least eight people became victims of extrajudicial killing from August 9 to September 30 after the Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed power on August 8, according to a report by human rights organisation Odhikar published on November 8.
鈥極f the eight, one died due to torture by the police, one died in torture by the members of the Department of Narcotics Control, and three were tortured to death by the joint forces. Additionally, three people were shot dead by the joint forces,鈥� said Odhikar in its quarterly report on the human rights situation from July to September.
