Extrajudicial killing: A threat to the rule of law

The Daily Star's headline "Shootouts killed 44 in 3 months" on April 1, 2017 has drawn my attention. The report was published by the Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK). In February, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal expressed the government's stance against extrajudicial killings in Parliament. But the ASK report reveals that 58 people have died from extrajudicial killings between January and March this year. Every citizen has the right to justice even if there is an allegation of crime against them. We urge the law enforcement agencies and the Home Ministry to address this problem of extrajudicial killings prudently and immediately. Human rights organisations should also be more vocal against it. Rule of law and equal justice for all should be upheld to ensure good governance in the country.

Md Selim Reza

Jahangirnagar University