200 killed in 'gunfights' in 84 days

Prothom Alo Illustration
Prothom Alo Illustration

At least 200 suspected drug peddlers were killed in alleged gunfights with the law enforcers in the country over the last 84 days. Among them, 103 were killed by police and 60 by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The law enforcers claimed the remaining 38 were killed in factional clashes of the drug traders.

Following the prime minister’s directives at RAB’s founding anniversary programme on 3 May to take tough action against the drug traders, the elite force launched a countrywide anti-narcotics drive. Police and the detective branch also joined in the drive.

Rights activists, however, have been criticising the drive, terming the incidents as extrajudicial killings.

On 27 May, former Juba League leader and ward councillor of Cox’s Bazar district’s Teknaf upazila Ekramul Haque was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with RAB men. After the incident, there was a widespread outcry in the country. Though the elite force claimed Ekramul to be a drug trader, his family and the party leaders denied it. The deaths in reported gunfights then started to drop amid the criticism.

According to a report of rights organisation Odhikar, some 341 incidents of extrajudicial killings happened between January and July of 2018.

The report released on 1 August revealed that 151 people were killed in May alone. 

Rights activist Nur Khan said the killing is not a solution to the drug problem.

“People are being killed in the name of gunfights or crossfire. The killing cannot be a solution to this problem. You can create a culture of fear through this kind of drive, but establishing a drug-free society is impossible in this way. A long-term plan engaging people is required,” said Nur Khan.

Gunfights in 2 districts

Amidst the on-going controversies over ‘gunfights’, a suspected drug trader was killed in Gaibandha and another was shot in Rajshahi on Monday night.

RAB officials said that a person named Abdus Salam alias Thosa Salam, 48, of Gaibandha’s Sundarganj upazila was killed in Satgiri Jamal area of the district.

Assistant commander of RAB-13 Gaibandha camp, Habibur Rahman claimed that the elite force conducted a drive based on a tip-off that Salam and his associates were engaged in drug trading at the time. The RAB men were attacked by them and at one point they retaliated, injuring Salam and two other RAB members.

Salam was taken to the upazila health complex, where he succumbed to his injuries.

RAB recovered a pistol, 3 bullets, 20 bottles of phensidyl and 10 kg marijuana.

Officer-in-charge of Sundarganj police station Abdus Subhan said, Salam was a top drug dealer and accused in 28 drug related cases. He served several jail terms.

No member of Salam’s family was available for comment as they were not found at his village home. They could not be reached over mobile phone either.

In Rajshahi’s Godagari area, suspected drug trader named Md Ibrahim, 35, was shot in a gunfight with police.

Assistant superintendent of police of Rajshahi, Abdur Razzak Khan said, a gang of drug peddlers attacked police while they conducted an anti- narcotics drive in a brickfield in Sahabdipur area.  

Ibrahim, accused in two drug related cases, was shot at his left leg while other members of the gang managed to flee.

Ibrahim has been undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Police recovered 5 bullets, a pistol and 500 grams heroin from the scene.