‘Over 4,500 BNP men killed in crossfire in 17yrs’
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman has claimed that more than 4,500 leaders and activists of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were killed in “crossfire” over the past 17 years, while many others were forcibly disappeared or killed without trial under what he described as a “fascist” government.
He made the remarks at a view-exchange meeting with local lawmakers, government officials and representatives of different professions at the Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner’s Office this afternoon.
Speaking about the country’s current law and order situation, the law minister said incidents of enforced disappearance and “crossfire” had now been brought down to zero.
“Over the past 17 years, people were picked up and killed without trial for being BNP or Jamaat activists. These killings were called ‘crossfire’. People were also forcibly disappeared,” he said.
Asaduzzaman also claimed that more than 60 lakh people had been implicated in false “ghost cases” during that period, with police acting as complainants in 99% of those cases.
“We are trying to stop this culture,” he said, stressing that law enforcement agencies should not be used to harass political opponents by filing cases against them.
Drugs allegedly being smuggled by drones
Addressing the drug situation, the minister said the masterminds behind drug syndicates were still out of reach and alleged that drugs were being brought into the country across the border using drones.
“Drugs cannot be a business. We have zero tolerance for this. If any leader is behind it, we are warning them too,” he said.
He described drug addiction as a social disease and called for collective efforts from all sections of society to make the country drug-free.
Miraj Sheikh disappearance case
The law minister also spoke about the disappearance case of Miraj Sheikh, which he described as a case study for the country. He said the government was investigating the allegation with great care and seriousness and assured that Miraj’s family would not be deprived of justice.
“We do not want Miraj’s family to be deprived of justice,” he said.
Asaduzzaman said members of Miraj’s family had been arrested for allegedly vandalising government property while protesting what they claimed was his disappearance.
He said the family had been provided legal assistance through the Law Ministry’s legal aid unit, which also helped secure their bail.
“Cases will proceed at their own pace. We want to provide services to people within the legal framework,” he said.
The minister also clarified that granting or denying bail was a matter for the court.
Warning against mob justice
Asaduzzaman warned that strict action would be taken against anyone resorting to mob justice or attempting to use mob pressure to secure or prevent bail.
Turning to the law and order situation in Bagerhat, he said several murders had taken place in the district and instructed law enforcement agencies to bring anyone facing allegations to justice, regardless of their political influence or position.
“If any powerful BNP leader tries to protect someone accused of a crime, you must also show zero tolerance,” he told law enforcement officials.
“Someone cannot commit murder and roam freely while people say that nothing happens even if someone kills. The police are not so weak yet. The law will take its own course,” he added.
The minister called on law enforcement agencies to perform their duties impartially and ensure that no individual or group could use political influence to obstruct the course of justice.
He stressed that maintaining law and order, preventing drug trafficking, protecting citizens’ rights and ensuring access to justice would require coordinated efforts by the government, law enforcement agencies and the public.
The meeting was attended by local lawmakers, senior government officials, law enforcement personnel and representatives of different professions, who discussed the prevailing law and order situation and other issues concerning the district.
