RIGHTS organisation Odhikar in its quarterly July鈥揝eptember report has enlisted at least eight people having been extrajudicially killed in August 9鈥揝eptember 30. The interim government was installed on August 8 after a student-mass uprising that spanned the month of July had finally toppled the 15 years of the authoritarian regime of the Awami League government and deposed the prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India that day. Of the eight victims of extrajudicial killing, as the report that Odhikar published on November 15 says, one died from police torture, another died from torture by narcotics control department personnel, three died from torture by joint forces and the remaining three were shot dead by the joint forces. The rights group, which had faced an extremely repressive and authoritarian Awami League since 2013, has, however, said it could prepare the third quarterly report without having any self-censorship because of the sacrifice of the students and ordinary people that brought about the political changeover. The report says that at least 52 people died and 1,308 people became wounded in political violence during the reporting period. It further says that 67 people were lynched in July鈥揝eptember 鈥� 36 in July 1鈥揂ugust 5 and 31 in August 9鈥揝eptember 30.
The group reports no enforced disappearances to have happened in the period. But what it has reported, especially on extrajudicial killing, is a cause of concern and is, therefore, unacceptable. This should not have happened, warranting that the government should run a credible investigation of all the incidents and hold anyone found responsible to account. Any indifference of the government towards such incidents would not only tarnish the image of the interim government that is breaking away from the legacy of the authoritarianism of the Awami League government but also undermine the sacrifice of the students and people who rose up in the uprising that overthrew the Awami League government. This would also undermine the rule of law. Odhikar also reports that four journalists were wounded, two were assaulted, three were threatened and cases were filed against three others reported to be discharging their professional duty. Journalists can, of course, be tried for any crimes that they may have committed, but efforts to create a fearful situation for journalists would only thwart the freedom of expression that had been mostly left in the lurch during the consecutive tenures of the Awami League government. The report, referring to the Students against Discrimination, says that at least 1,581 people died and more than 18,000 became wounded in the July 1鈥揂ugust 5 students-led mass uprising. The Directorate General of Health Services on September 24 said that its preliminary investigation had enlisted 708 people having died in the uprising.
The government should, therefore, credibly investigate all such incidents of extrajudicial killing and the other incidents that violated people鈥檚 rights in the July鈥揝eptember period to hold to account the perpetrators of the crimes and to advance the rule of law.
