Disclosure of AL rule ‘crossfire’ deaths sought

A Supreme Court lawyer has served a legal notice on top law enforcement officials demanding comprehensive official data on people killed in so-called “crossfire,” “gunfights,” “encounters” and similar operations by law enforcement agencies during the three consecutive terms of the Awami League government.

Advocate SM Zulfikar Ali, a Supreme Court lawyer and chairman of the National Lawyers Council, told the media on Thursday that he had sent the notice to five officials: the home secretary, the inspector general of police, the director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the director general of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner.

The notice gives the authorities two weeks to take appropriate steps. Zulfikar said he would file a writ petition with the High Court if they failed to respond accordingly.

The notice seeks a complete, government record-based list of the total number of people killed in such operations during the Awami League’s tenure, along with the identities of the victims — their names, parents’ names, addresses and other identity details.

It also asks for the date, time and specific location of each incident, and details of which law enforcement agency was involved in each killing.

Beyond victim details, the notice seeks information on the officers who led each operation — their names, ranks and workplaces — as well as the identities of all officers and personnel who participated, to the extent such disclosure is permitted under the law.

The notice requests the current status and findings of the first information report (FIR), general diary (GD), inquest report and autopsy report connected to each incident. It further seeks any magistrate inquiry reports, departmental investigation reports and other official investigation findings, where such disclosure is legally permissible.

Separately, the notice asks the authorities to disclose details of any incident that has been identified as an unlawful or extrajudicial killing through a government investigation, judicial inquiry or other lawful process, along with the relevant findings and decisions in such cases.

It also seeks information on any departmental, administrative or criminal action taken against law enforcement personnel implicated in such incidents — including the names and ranks of those concerned, the nature of the action taken, and the current status and outcome of proceedings.

The notice further asks for details of any compensation, rehabilitation or other assistance extended to the families of those killed.

It also requests information on any policies, directives or reform measures adopted by the government or relevant authorities to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.

The notice marks one of the more sweeping legal efforts to compel disclosure of official data on extrajudicial killings attributed to law enforcement agencies during the Awami League’s time in power. Zulfikar has indicated that a failure by the authorities to respond within the stipulated period will prompt him to pursue the matter through a writ petition before the High Court.