Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK): 148 people were killed in “crossfire” and law enforcers' custody

By Bangladesh Media; As many as 148 people were killed in “crossfire” and law enforcers' custody this year, according to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). 

Claiming 107 lives, the “crossfire” incidents involved police 55 times, Rapid Action Battalion 32 times, police and detectives 11 times and other law enforcement agencies nine times. Of the 41 custodial deaths, nine resulted from torture while the rest from being shot, suicides, physical ailments etc.

The rights body released the report yesterday, preparing it from news reports of several top Bangla and English national dailies and its own findings.

The report says that meanwhile as many as 740 political clashes took place, causing 143 deaths and injuring another 4,858. It adds that 103 houses, six business outlets and 146 temples and idols of the Hindu community were also torched and vandalised. Moreover, 191 journalists have been harassed or received threats.

Twenty-three persons were killed in firing by India's Border Security Force (BSF) along the border while 12 more died in BSF torture, adds the report. As many as 52 persons died in prison and 104 in mob beating while Section 144 was called 28 times at different places.

Nine women committed suicide due to sexual harassment while two females and one male were killed protesting the social menace. Eight women became victims of village arbitration and fatwa and 24 of acid attacks, among whom one died. As many as 46 domestic helps were tortured and four of them died while 19 more died under mysterious circumstances. Moreover, 208 women were harassed due to dowry related issues and 129 of them were killed while 292 women became victims of domestic violence.

The ASK report also says 591 women were raped in the last nine months and 48 of them were killed later. One committed suicide after being raped.