'Extrajudicial killings not acceptable'

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday called upon the government to stop extrajudicial killing in the name of “gunfight” during the countrywide anti-drug drive.

Issuing a press statement, the eminent jurist urged to bring the drug peddlers under justice through identifying them properly, irrespective of political identity and views.

“People of the country want to get rid of the dangers of narcotics. But the extrajudicial killings at the so called gunfights during the ongoing anti-drug drive cannot be accepted at all,” Dr Kamal said in the statement.

He also said the drive became questionable after letting “the godfathers” of drug dealing, including lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi, flee the country. Society cannot be free of drugs through killing the “small fish” without trial, he added.

Condemning Teknaf Municipality Councillor Akramul Haque's murderers, Dr Kamal demanded bringing the murders to book soon, according to the statement.

In the last 27 days, at least 142 alleged drug peddlers were killed during the drive. Most of them were killed in the so called shootouts involving police and Rapid Action Battalion.