AL MP defends 'extrajudicial killings'

Ruling Awami League lawmaker MA Latif yesterday in public defended “extrajudicial killings” by law enforcement agencies, including the Rapid Action Battalion, and praised the activities of the elite force saying it had earned a lot of trust among people.

He was addressing an anti-narcotics programme organised by Rab-7 at its headquarters in Chittagong.

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A total of 35.70 lakh pieces of Yaba, 200kg marijuana and 7,181 bottles of Phensedyl were destroyed at the event, also attended by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed.

Slamming those who criticise Rab for “crossfire”, Latif said whenever law enforcers hunt down criminals, some intellectuals in television talk-shows start criticising them.

“No human is being killed without trial. Those who are being killed are animals in the guise of human beings. There are a lot of cases filed against them. Some are accused in 10, 15 or 20 cases. But they usually get released using loopholes of law. Since the government has no other way of containing these notorious criminals, the law enforcement agencies have to create panic among them by hunting them down,” he said.

People pray for the Rab or police officials whenever they nab criminals, he added.

He questioned if those intellectuals can bring those criminals back to the right path while the usual trend is they get bail after being produced before the court and engage in crime again.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in his speech also praised Rab for its role in combating militancy.

He said once a huge quantity of Phensedyl was smuggled from India but it could be controlled through meetings with the neighbouring country.

“We have talked to Myanmar for several times.  We are still doing so. They [Myanmar] are assuring us that they would take steps but we are yet to get any result. We hope Myanmar will be more sincere in future in this regard [drug smuggling].”

The minister said fishing in the river Naf could be suspended for some time on a trial basis to stop smuggling of Yaba from Myanmar.

State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, Chittagong Development Authority Chairman Abdus Salam, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Iqbal Bahar and Department of Narcotics Control Director Atahar Ali also spoke at the programme.