At least 504 people, including 15 police and two BGB personnel, were killed and over 22,000 injured in political violence in 2013,
according to a report of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a human rights organization.
The report shows that 53 people were victims of enforced disappearance and 72 others were the victims of extra judicial killings by the law
enforcing agencies.
As many as 848 clashes took place in 2013 centring the verdicts of war crimes trials and execution of Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah and
political disputes over the January 5 general elections, said the report.
It said over 100 people were killed in different parts of the country after the announcement of the 10th parliamentary election schedule on
November 25. Of them, 75 were killed between November 25 and December 15 and the rest were killed in clashes over the execution of Quader
Mollah from December 10 to 13.
The clashes took place in around 50 districts out of 64 districts but Satkhira was identified as deadliest one
The report of ASK on the State of Human Rights in Bangladesh-2013 was released at a press conference at Dhgaka Reporters Unity on Tuesday.
The report said the country underwent a very unstable human rights situation during the year.
Speaking of on the occasion of publication of the ASK annual report, acting executive director of the organization Noor Khan expressed his
concern over the state of human rights situation in the country.
He apprehended that militancy and terrorism might rise in the country if the major political parties fail to reach an understanding and stop
political violence Khan said there were attempts by religion-based parties to rise and
political major parties engaged in squabble over different issues over the year,
He expected that the government would take an effective measure to impriove the human rights situation.
The ASK officials criticised the ruling and opposition parties to avoid their responsibilities and not to play their due roles.
The report mentioned that though some positive steps taken to establish economic, social and cultural rights, political violence
throughout the year and deteriorated law and order situation created panic and insecurity among people.
The report further said enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and deaths in custody continued along with communal violence,
harassment and killing of journalists, gender-based violence and violation of workers’ rights.
The report presented by senior investigator of ASK Abu Ahmed Faizul Kabir termed the trials against the war crimes as the most positive
step of the government and the collapse of Rana Plaza at Savar that left 1,134 garment workers killed as the most disastrous event of the
year.
The report shows a distressing trend of communal violence in 2013.
It said of the total of 97 burnt injuries, 25 died during undergoing treatment in seven hospitals in the county.
Besides, three journalists were killed by different side while they were collecting news on violence in 2013.
The report shows that 53 people were victims of forced disappearance and 72 were the victims of extra judicial killings by the law
enforcing agencies.
Tipu Sultan, Nina Goswami, Abu Obaidur Rahman and Fahima Ansari, among others, were present on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
