Dhaka, Jan 12 (Just News): At least 139 people became victims of ‘crossfire’ and 86 were victims of enforced disappearance in Bangladesh in 2017, rights organisation Odhikar said on Friday.
In the annual report of the organisation released today, Odhikar also said that 59 people ‘died’ in jail and 77 people were killed in political violence in the outgoing year.
It said that the incidents of extrajudicial killings and torture by law enforcement agencies must be investigated and the perpetrators must be brought to effective justice.
It recommended that the government should investigate and explain all incidents of enforced disappearance and post-disappearance killings, allegedly perpetrated by law enforcement agencies.
The report said 783 women became victims of rape, 242 were subjected to sexual harassment, 256 became victims of violence for dowry and 52 were injured in acid attacks in 2017.
It reported that a total of 25 Bangladeshis were killed by Indian Border Security Force, 29 injured and 28 were victims of abduction by BSF last year.
Odhikar said that most of cases of human rights abuse could not be reported in the media due to hindrances on freedom of expression and media and also due to self-censorship.
(Justnews/ys/2320hr)
