Dhaka, Oct 27 (IANS) Bangladesh's top police official said that law enforcement personnel may resort to "crossfire" if the situation demands it and the government grants permission, according to local media reports.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at an event in Dhaka on Monday afternoon.
"Wherever crossfire is necessary, if the government allows it, we will do that," Bangladesh's leading newspaper The Daily Star quoted him as saying.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from several quarters, triggering concerns over the normalisation of extrajudicial killings and the erosion of constitutional safeguards and the rule of law in Bangladesh.
Condemning the remarks, anti-graft watchdog Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) urged the government to seek a formal explanation from the IGP, ensure that he retracts his statement and issues an unconditional public apology, and hold him administratively accountable.
The organisation also called for his removal from office until accountability is established.
"Is the police chief seeking to use the discredited practice of crossfire as a shield for the police's failure to maintain law and order? Does seeking to legitimise extrajudicial killings by making them conditional on government approval amount to an admission of failure to combat crime through lawful means?" The Daily Star quoted TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman as saying.
He stressed that the police are responsible for conducting professional investigations, identifying offenders and bringing the accused to trial based on admissible evidence.
"Presenting crossfire as an alternative cannot resolve institutional weaknesses; rather, it is an example of professional bankruptcy," Iftekharuzzaman said.
He further pointed out that the IGP in the same remarks had spoken of discharging duties in accordance with the law and the constitution, while also saying that the police would resort to crossfire if the government approved it.
Describing the two positions as contradictory, Iftekharuzzaman said, "No government approval can legitimise an extrajudicial killing. The rights to legal protection and to life and personal liberty guaranteed under articles 31 and 32 of the constitution cannot be set aside by executive decisions. Regardless of the seriousness of an allegation, the police have no authority to kill anyone by bypassing due process."
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Awami League sharply criticised the remarks, saying such statements from the country's highest-ranking police official raise grave concerns about human rights, constitutional safeguards, and the rule of law.
"No government permission can legitimise an extrajudicial killing. The right to life, due process, and equal protection under the law must be upheld for every citizen, regardless of political affiliation or accusation," it added.
--IANS
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