BNP gives ‘crossfire’ victim names to HR groups

The BNP-led 20-party alliance today sent a list of its leaders and activists who have been killed by law enforcers in the last one month to different international human rights groups and foreign missions in Dhaka.  

Sources in the alliance said it had also urged the human rights organisations to carry out investigations into the incidents.

The alliance came up with the move one week ahead of the visit by a high-profile European Union delegation to evaluate the latest human rights situation in Bangladesh.

“Alongside arresting a large number of leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance from January 5 in the name of joint drives, killings have also been carried out through so-called shootouts,” Shimul Biswas, a special assistant to BNP Chairperson Khaleda, told reporters.

“A total of 78 people have been killed in the period of time and of them 43 belonged to the opposition alliance,” he claimed adding that they have collected the information from the media reports and the alliance sources.

The alliance has also sent a separate list of the leaders and activists, who have been victims of forced disappearances and abductions.