EXTRAJUDICIAL MURDERS: Law minister for judicial inquiry

Law minister Anisul Huq on Thursday said allegations of extra-judicial killing by law enforcement agencies should be investigated properly, as stipulated in the law.
‘There could be a judicial enquiry in case of any such allegation of extra-judicial killing against law enforcement agencies, to find out the truth. This is a win-win for both,’ he told reporters at his office at the secretariat.
Responding to a question, the minister, also a lawyer by profession, said he was, however, not in favour of any independent inquiry outside the legal system.
In recent days, extrajudicial murders have again come under the spotlight after several ruling party men were killed in ‘gunfights’ with police and Rapid Action Battalion.
At least three ruling party men were killed in incidents of ‘crossfire’ or ‘encounter’ with lawmen within a span of 24 hours.
Anisul said proper investigation could relieve law enforcement agencies of the allegations of killing people extra-judicially.
Usually, an executive inquiry is carried out to probe the incidents of murders in ‘gunfights’ between police and ‘miscreants’.
A Chhatra League leader and a Juba League activist were killed in ‘encounters’ with RAB and police at Hazaribagh in the capital and Doarpar in Magura early Tuesday. The former was charged with killing a teenager and the latter with shooting at a pregnant woman when the baby in her womb was also injured.
In another incident, a local Juba League leader, accused in two murder cases, was killed in what law enforcers termed gunfight between his associates and Detective Branch of police in Kushtia early Wednesday.
A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at a press conference in the capital on Wednesday said this kind of killing was unacceptable.
Rights organisations have expressed concern over the rising incidents of extrajudicial killings in the country.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net