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Stop cycle of violent crimes

Urges HRW

Star Report
As violence spewing from political turmoil continues, state authorities need to ensure their response, respect everyone's rights, and avoid arbitrary use of forced disappearances and arrests, said Human Rights Watch yesterday.
"All parties should cooperate to stop the cycle of violent crimes and ensure that those responsible for all crimes are arrested and prosecuted," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New Yorkbased rights body.
"The violent crimes being committed by some members of the opposition cannot justify the killings, injuries, and wrongful arrests by the government,” he said in a statement published in the HRW website.
Over the past month, nearly 60 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and thousands arrested across the country, he said.
All political leaders should give clear statements that their supporters should not use unlawful violence, the statement added.
The violence and clampdown by government security forces began in early January, with protests to mark the first anniversary of the controversial 2014 elections which saw the ruling Awami League win a landslide victory after the BNP-led alliance boycotted the polls.
The current cycle of violence, including deadly arson attacks, follows the same pattern as documented by Human Rights Watch a year ago, when more than 500 people were killed in the election-related violence, the statement said.
It noted that one of the most horrific aspects of the violence in Bangladesh was petrol bomb attacks, often hurled indiscriminately at vehicles attempting to pass through strikes and transport blockades called by the alliance. Since most Bangladeshis rely on daily wages, they end up being at risk of attack while traveling for work.
At least 41 people have died and several hundreds have been injured in
such attacks over the course of the last month.
The leadership of both political parties have repeatedly blamed the other side and denied their parties were responsible.
On February 5, for example, BNP chief Khaleda Zia denounced the violence but continued to pin the blame entirely on members of the Awami League in spite of credible allegations that members of her own party were involved in these attacks, the report said.
An estimated 17 others have died at the hands of security forces, with the majority belonging to the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami parties or the student bodies leaning towards the two parties.
As is often the case, some of these deaths were described by police as occurring during “crossfire" or "shoot-outs". In other cases, police simply report finding a dead body with gunshot wounds but family members report that the victim had last been taken into custody by security forces.
The government has taken no action to reign in the excessive use of force, nor to investigate and prosecute those responsible, according to the HRW.
Instead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was quoted in the media saying that she had authorised the security forces "to take any action whenever and wherever deemed necessary" to stop the arson attacks.
"The abuses in Bangladesh can no longer be ignored by the world," Adams said.