Bangladesh rulers continuing crime against humanity

Enforced disappearance, extra judicial murder, secret killing, appeasing jihadist and repression on religious minorities - these are all seen as crime against humanity in the world, and current kakistocracy in Bangladesh, a Moslem majority nation in South Asia are committing all of these in full swing despite repeated protests of rights groups around the world. Unfortunately people sitting in the West and the United Nations are turning deaf on such crucial issues.

Bangladesh, a country liberated in 1971 has mostly witnessed autocratic military rules and even after independence, the then rulers introduced one-party rule named BAKSAL, where freedom of press and judiciary as well as rights of the citizen had been totally denied. The country struggled a lot to finally attain democracy back on track until it went under kakistocracy.

According to figures released by various organizations, more than 25 people are dying due to extra judicial murder or secret killing, where members of the security and law enforcement agencies are taking active part. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as well as security agencies, especially military intelligence members are committing such crimes under directives of the security advisor of the Prime Minister and for each of such murders, the killing groups are provided handsome cash incentives to encourage them in continuing such crime against humanity. It should be mentioned here that a large proportion of RAB comprises members of the Armed Forces who are sent on deputation on a regular basis. Commanding officers of RAB are also from the army. Most importantly law enforcing agencies in recent years are used as mere cadres of the ruling autocracy in Bangladesh.

First case of enforced disappearance came to media radar when a front ranking leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Ilias Ali was reportedly kidnapped by the military intelligence members. The next case was the doubtful murder of Saudi diplomat Khalaf Ali, who got shot at the diplomatic area in the capital city during late hours. Ali was being watched by intelligence agency men for some time and his murder plan was finalized by the security advisor General Tareq Ahmed Siddiqi when he was told about Ali's regular meetings with Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur Razzak. Hearing this Gen Tareq instantly gave directives to army intelligence to eliminate Khalaf Ali. Weeks after this murder, Bangladesh authorities cooked a story and arrested some street muggers as being the killers of Ali and succeeded in comforting the Saudi authorities who had been pressing Dhaka to unearth the murder mystery.

The next case of state patronized murder was that of journo couple named Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, who were slaughtered inside their residence in the city. It was later known through media reports that the couple was investigating corruption in energy sector and got hold of sensitive evidence of high profile involvement in the corruption. Sensing the disclosure of these information's, the security advisor engaged his men in killing the journo couple and the investigation into the murder mystery had been successfully sent to cold storage at the personal interference of Gen Tareq. Members of Bangladesh media and leaders of journalist community had been pressing this issue hard to identify the killers but all of their efforts went in vein as extremely powerful quarter is involved behind this murder.

The Bangladesh government is also giving shelter to Jihadists and in recent past a number of Islamist terrorists were freed from the prison by law enforcing agencies. The government has taken the policy of the current regime in Bangladesh is to turn deaf on international community similarly as any autocracy in the world. For the sake of protecting lives of civilians and to make an end to the state sponsored terror in Bangladesh the international governments and the UN must take some urgent measures and expel the members of Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies and army from the UNPKF immediately and begin trial against these enemies of humanity in the international court of justice. The case of Bangladesh should be taken seriously with urgency before it is too late. We cannot allow another nation emerging as Iran, North Korea or Cuba.