Extra-judicial killings

Indeed, the time has come to abandon euphemism and openly state that not only is the government following a policy of extra-judicial killing of criminal suspects, but also that the government further demeans itself by its denial of what everyone knows to be true. It has come to a point where the head of the EU in Bangladesh on Sunday had to react.

The problems with the policy are so apparent as to need little elaboration, but as the government seems not to understand, let us restate them here.

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First, a climate has been created whereby the rule of law stands effectively undermined. There are now reports of extra-judicial killings by other law enforcement branches. The idea has gained legitimacy, it seems. If mobs now start lynching criminals, suspected or real, then how can the government respond?

Second, the arbitrariness of the procedure is unacceptable. On what basis criminal suspects are chosen for elimination, who lives and who dies, is all in the hands of Rab. They operate as judge, jury, and executioner, and they remain unaccountable and their modus operandi above question. There is no public oversight over the process.

Thirdly, surely we do not have to remind the authorities that extra-judicial killing in the name of crime control is grossly erroneous, because one wrong cannot set another 'wrong' right. Such actions undermine the rule of law which is the foundation of society and are inconsistent with our constitution and the principles of democracy.

If the judicial process is cumbersome and criminals can exploit its loopholes, then the solution should be to fix it, simplify it, rather than using it as a pretext for extra-judicial killings. Investments are now being made to improve our law enforcement capabilities which is where, we believe, the emphasis should be solely laid.

Finally, the government's obvious mendacity on the subject has further diminished its standing in the eyes of the public. The government must call a halt to the policy of extra-judicial killing if it wishes to restore the respect for rule of law that is the foundation of a democratic order and if it wishes to restore respect for its word both inside and outside the country.