BCL leader arju killing in �gunfight�
Judicial probe ordered
RAB won�t be disbanded, says law minister
A Dhaka court yesterday ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Arzu Mia, who was reportedly killed in crossfire with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at the wee hours of August 17.
Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Shahriar Mohammad Adnan passed the order after Arzus elder brother Masud Rana moved the court, alleging that his brother was murdered by RAB personnel.
The magistrate also forwarded the case to the court of chief metropolitan magistrate Sheikh Hafizur Rahman for further action. Advocate Azim Uddin, appearing for the plaintiff, said a magistrate will hear the statements of the complainant and witnesses of the incident. After that, the magistrate will submit a report to the court. The court will then decide whether the complaint should be accepted as a case or not, he added.
Azim Uddin said the chief metropolitan magistrate will decide who will conduct the judicial enquiry.
Arzu was the chief of Chhatra Leagues Hazaribagh unit in Dhaka. He was accused of beating a teenager, Mohammed Raja, to death on August 16 over a theft allegation.
Rajas sister Reshma Begum had filed a case against Arzu and he was picked up on the same night by the RAB. Arzu was allegedly killed in a crossfire on the following morning.
Following this, Arzus brother filed a case against three RAB officials.
On August 24, about a week after the alleged gunfight, RAB-2 commanding officer Masud Rana was withdrawn and attached to the forces headquarters.
Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, RABs legal and media wing director, said the move was meant to ensure a fair probe into the allegation against the officer.
Arzus death has once again highlighted the issue of extrajudicial murders as several ruling-party affiliates have been killed in gunfights with members of police and RAB in recent times.
Expressing grave concern over the recent deaths in crossfire, Ain o Shalish Kendra (ASK), in a statement on August 19, alleged that the government has resorted to extrajudicial killings to cover up deterioration of law and order.
It said that law enforcement agencies have killed 101 people in separate incidents of crossfire from January till June this year. Among them, 24 were killed by RAB, 64 by police and 13 by other law enforcement agencies, it added.
In 2014, 128 people were killed in crossfire and 88 others had disappeared across the country, while some 147 people were killed in 664 incidents of political violence and 8,373 others got injured, stated the human rights organisation.
UNB adds: Law Minister Anisul Haque yesterday said the elite force will not be disbanded.
The minister came up with the remark while talking to the news agency in response to a question over dissolving the force.
Appreciating the role of RAB in curbing terrorism, the minister said the government can take action against the RAB members in question if allegations brought against them are proved as the government does not support extrajudicial killings.
RAB, an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit, has drawn flak since its origin in 2004 for extrajudicial killings throughout the country.
The recent killing of BCL leader Arzu in a gunfight with the elite force on August 18 triggered the criticisms over the elite forces activities.
