168 murdered last month: BHRC

Around 168 people were murdered for various reasons including social and political violence across the country last month, according to Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC).

The rights body yesterday revealed the information in their monthly report based on data from its district, upazila, and municipality branches, and national newspapers, in cooperation with International Human Rights Commission.

BHRC, in a press statement, also said around 221 people were killed in road, train and waterway accidents.

Among the 168 murder victims, two were killed for dowry; 20 in family, 42 in social, and four in political violence in May this year. “Around 29 people were killed in the hands of members of different law enforcement agencies while seven were killed by members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF),” it said.

Around eight people died due to negligence of physicians at different health service centres including hospitals, five were killed after abduction, nine fell victim to secret killing, 35 deaths remain mysterious, and seven were killed after rape, according to BHRC.

The total number of the rape victims were 69 in the month while nine women faced sexual harassment, two were tortured for dowry and one burnt in acid attack. Two journalists were physically assaulted while on duty, it said.      

The commission expressed concern over increasing number of such incidents and claimed incidents of killing occurred due to extreme deterioration of law and order.