Extrajudicial killings continue unabated under Bangladesh’s interim government, raising sharp questions about accountability and reform, as at least 40 people have reportedly been killed—either through torture or in so-called “shootouts” with law-enforcement agencies, including the military—BBC Bangla reported today.
In the capital’s Mirpur neighbourhood, joint security forces arrested three youth-wing leaders with 30 rounds of ammunition. One of them, Asif Shikder, fell critically ill in detention and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to the BBC Bangla report, the detainees were first held at a military camp in the Science Laboratory area, then moved to Shah Ali police station before Asif’s death was confirmed.
Since the interim government took office in August 2024, human-rights monitors say at least 40 alleged extrajudicial killings have occurred in 14 months. The rights organisation Odhikar reports that of those 40 victims, 19 were shot, 14 died from torture, and seven were beaten to death while in custody.
This pattern comes despite the government’s stated commitment to justice and institutional reform.
Security analysts say the problem lies not only in the incidents themselves but in the lack of independent, transparent investigations. Professor Asif Mohammad Shahan of Dhaka University observed: “When the same police officers investigate their own units, justice becomes a mirage.”
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, came to power after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It inherited a security-sector framework long criticised for politicisation and human-rights abuses. Reform commitments have included disbanding elite units and strengthening civilian oversight, yet no major structural overhaul has been publicly completed.
Human-rights activist Nur Khan Liton said the absence of a “firm stance” and delayed action is fuelling continued abuses. “Even under a non-political interim government, these killings continue because the structures and culture remain unchanged,” he said.
When contacted, a government press office did not respond to BBC Bangla’s request for comment.
For Bangladesh to uphold the rule of law, extrajudicial killings must cease and security forces must be held accountable. This requires prompt, independent investigations, prosecution of perpetrators, and meaningful reform of policing and detention systems. Until then, government pledges of justice will remain hollow words.
