The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on March 1 arrested Md Azizul Haque Rana, a fugitive militant who was sentenced to death in a case over a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Gopalganj's Kotalipara in 2000.
The law enforcement agencies successfully arrested the militant after he had been hiding for 21 years under various disguises.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on February 17 arrested Ashraf Hossain alias Kamal, a death row convict who had been absconding for 17 years disguised as a journalist after killing his wife in Narayanganj.
In the last three months, since the US imposed sanctions on RAB and seven of its present and former officials, the law enforcement agencies have continued their drives and nabbed criminals without sparing a bullet.
Gunfights or crossfires between law enforcers and criminals have been a common phenomenon since 2004.
On December 10 last year, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on RAB and its current and former officials, including the force’s former director general Benazir Ahmed, citing "serious human rights abuse relating to the officials’ tenure”.
The same day, the State Department also imposed sanctions on Benazir and another RAB official.
The sanctions mean RAB will neither be allowed to own properties in the US nor engage in any financial transaction with US bodies or personnel until further notice.
According to data from Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), 80 alleged deaths caused by law enforcement agencies were reported in 2021. RAB was involved in 30 alleged crossfire killings.
This is not the first time that Bangladesh is observing a break in crossfire deaths.
Following the murder of Major (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan in Cox's Bazar on July 31, 2020, no crossfire was reported in the country for over five months, except one in Sylhet.
Pause to continue till there is pressure
The ongoing pause in gunfights or shootouts is expected to continue as long as international groups continue to pile on pressure, said human rights defenders.
Describing extrajudicial killings as a tool to create an atmosphere of fear, they said the last three months without any gunfight or shootout meant putting a stop to or continuing such killings depends on whether or not the government wants it to continue or not.
Eminent jurist Dr Shahdeen Malik told Dhaka Tribune: “How long this break will continue depends on the pressure from the international community. After the sanctions of the US government, the law enforcement agencies have refrained from any extrajudicial killings, known as crossfire or gunfights.”
He said it could be counterproductive for the government, especially for those seven officials.
On the subject, former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof Mizanur Rahman said: “Extrajudicial crossfire killings have stopped for now and it is obvious that the sanction has had a role to play here.”
Prof Mizanur Rahman feared that many countries would resort to various diplomatic activities to garner political support. “If the US government does something like this and they lift the ban later then this break may not continue.”
RAB denies allegation
According to RAB officials, they have not carried out any extrajudicial killings.
They claimed that what human rights activists and people call crossfire had actually taken place in self-defense.
They pointed out that gunfights and crossfires are two different things.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director (Legal and Media wing) RAB told Dhaka Tribune: “We have not had a gunfight with criminals in the last three months and so we have not had any incidents like the death of a criminal in our bullets. But it has nothing to do with the US sanctions. This allegation is not valid.”
He said: “No member of our force uses a gun until criminals open fire first. We start firing in self-defense. Often criminals die by their own bullets as they fire in a scattered manner. But our officers have proper training, so their aim is better and criminals are shot dead.
“When such an incident occurs, a magistrate goes to the spot and investigates. The whole process is done legally. There is no way for extrajudicial killings to take place,” he added.
