Bangladesh
Death by law enforcing agencies
238
killed in hands of law enforcers last year
According
to the annual report of Odhikar 238 people were killed at the hands
of law enforcers last year and of them, 147 alone were killed in 'crossfire'
involving various law enforcing agencies including Rab.
Odhikar, a human
rights watch, in its report also said 522 people were killed in political
violence last year while in the previous year (2003) the number was
436.
The Odhikar report,
prepared on the basis of reports published in leading national dailies,
observed that the higher number of political killings as well as killings
in 'crossfire' last year accounted for the 'much-worsened human rights
conditions in the country'.
According to the
report, 62 people were killed in 'crossfire' with Rapid Action Battalion
while 76 in 'crossfize' with police and seven with anti-crime outfits
Cheetah and Cobra.
Police
and members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) arrested as many as 8,500 people
in between April 18 and 30 in the run-up to the 'April 30 deadline'
given by the main opposition Awami League (AL) to oust the government.
Of the arrestees, 2000 were released after quizzing while the rest were
sent to jail through courts.
The report also
said that police arrested 5748 people across the country during September
23-29, ahead of the October 3 mass rally by AL.
Last year saw five
journalists killed and 111 injured in the line of duty. Bmsides, 292
newsmen received thrmats from different quarters, the Odhikar report
mentioned adding that in the same period 866 women and children were
raped and of them, 116 were killed following rape.
January 01, The Daily Star.