Terming the recent incidents of crossfire a stage-managed drama, BNP on Monday alleged that extrajudicialkillings are being carried out in the country at the state patronage to eliminate the opposition.”Extrajudicial killings are going on at the state patronage. We think no one is safe since the government is killing people through its crossfire-drama to annihilate the opposition,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.He came up with the allegation at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. The BNP leader said, their apprehension of the murder of a Satkhira Chhatra Dal leader, Azharul Islam, has come true as his bullet-hit body was found early Monday.Earlier on Saturday, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon at a press briefing had voiced apprehension that Azahraul might have been the victim of extrajudicial killing as he had been missing since law enforcers picked him up. However, police said they took Azhar to Kheyaghat area in the district on Sunday night to recover illegal arms after arresting him on Sunday morning.Police also claimed the JCD leader was killed in a gunfight between the law enforcers and the ‘cohorts’ of Azharul. Reacting to the incident, Fakhrul said extrajudicial killings are being carried out across the country in the name of joint forces’ operation. “A reign of terror has been established everywhere in the country. Over a hundred opposition leaders and activists have become the victims of extrajudicial killings across the country.”Expressing his disappointment that the media is not giving due importance to the alarming increase in extrajudicial killing, the BNP leader sought cooperation from journalists in having the menace stopped. Fakhrul also urged the government to stop the extrajudicial killings and allow them to exercise their democratic rights. Earlier, a joint meeting of BNP was held at the central office with Fakhrul in the chair about their January-29 countrywide demonstration and black flag procession.
