End the legacy of custodial torture and extrajudicial killings
It is deeply disheartening that, despite the change in government following a bloody mass uprising, custodial torture and deaths continue to plague the nation. Among the many crimes committed during the fallen Awami League regime, one of the most heinous was the repeated torture and killing of individuals in police and security force custody—including in secret detention centres infamously known as Aynaghars—alongside other forms of extrajudicial executions. This newspaper has consistently condemned such egregious human rights violations. With the change in government, many expected these abuses to end. However, according to Odhikar, between August 9 and December 31 last year, law enforcement and security agencies were reportedly responsible for 12 extrajudicial killings.
Of the victims, six were allegedly tortured by joint forces, and one died due to police torture. Additionally, Odhikar reports that three individuals were shot by joint forces, while another by police. The report also states that one person was beaten and pushed off a bridge by the police. Furthermore, Odhikar highlights allegations that joint forces conduct operations in plainclothes and engage in torture and extrajudicial killings, providing specific names and details of these incidents.
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For instance, on September 8, 2024, Elahi Sikder died in custody after being arrested five days earlier on charges of attacking army personnel. A doctor at Gopalganj General Hospital, quoted in the report, stated that Sikder's body bore multiple injuries. Similarly, on September 10, members of the joint forces in Gaibandha arrested Mosharof Hossain Sweet, chairman of Saghata Union and president of the Awami League's Saghata unit, along with his associates Shafiqul Islam and Sohrab Hossain Apel. Shafiqul later died while receiving treatment at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura, while Apel passed away at Gaibandha General Hospital. Their families have alleged that both men succumbed to brutal torture while in the custody of the joint forces.
This is not what was envisioned for a new Bangladesh—one that promised justice, accountability, and the protection of human rights for all. In a country committed to the rule of law, even the guilty must be punished through due legal procedures, not through extrajudicial means. We urge the interim government to address this matter with utmost seriousness. Immediate and decisive action must be taken to end custodial torture and killings once and for all. Furthermore, all cases reported by Odhikar must be thoroughly and impartially investigated, with those responsible held to account.
We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. If we are to truly turn a new page as a nation, justice must not only be promised—it must be delivered.
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