Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz has commented on the deaths of opposition activists in police custody in Bangladesh. It is reported that in the course of two weeks, six opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and activists have died in prison. In each of the cases, a history of negligence of medical treatment in jail custody has been reported.
In a report by Voice of America about these suspicious deaths, Riaz said that they “show a pattern which can be described as extrajudicial killings.”
Some relatives have alleged that the arrestees were tortured.
“If there is evidence showing that the activists were tortured in custody, it’s a violation of fundamental rights of a citizen and the law of the land,” Riaz said.
Regarding media reports of opposition activists being attacked, abducted, and killed by unidentified masked men, Riaz added: “The deaths in custody, in combination with recent attacks and abductions of BNP activists by masked men, indicate that extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances are now back in Bangladesh with more lethality.”
Since October 28, Bangladesh is witnessing, according to Human Rights Watch, “a violent autocratic crackdown.”
Parliamentary elections, scheduled for January 7, 2024, are being boycotted by opposition parties.
