Thaindian News

Dhaka, Sep 5 (IANS) Security and defence forces in Bangladesh early Saturday killed three “outlaws” belonging to Left extremist organisations in a drive demanded by lawmakers in the wake of a deteriorating security situation in the southwestern districts bordering India.
Khalishpur in Khulna city and a day-care school in Kushtia were the scene of action by the police and the elite paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The dead were identified as Arifur Alam Akkas, 45, a pirate in the Sundarbans area, Murad Hossain alias Bhola, 40, a leader of outlawed Gono Bahini and Hassan Ali alias Hasan Kasai, 32, a cadre of Janajuddha, the Star Online reported.

The killings comes even as a parliamentary panel, meeting against the backdrop of dipping law and order in the country’s southwest, Thursday recommended special drives against Left extremists, the New Age newspaper said.

“We are primarily convinced that armed bandit groups are out to destabilise order in the areas with money extortion. A special drive is necessary to thwart such illegal activities,” said Abdus Salam, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry.

Armed extremists in at least 14 southwestern districts have become active this year.

The committee was told that they were reportedly backed by a section of the ruling Awami League.

Salam, a retired army officer-turned-politician, said preliminary investigation found no basis to that charge.

“Anyone found involved in crimes, even if they belong to the ruling party, will be brought to justice,” he was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has categorically asked the authorities concerned to treat criminals as criminals, irrespective of party affiliation, he said.

Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad and RAB director general Hasan Mahmud Khandaker recently visited some of the southwestern districts to take stock of the law and order situation.

They told the parliamentary committee that armed gangs were active in the areas in the name of different parties outlawed by the government, according to sources attending the meeting.

The armed groups are not working for any political ideology; they are using arms only to do crimes, the top officials said.

Bangladesh’s southwest has “for long been dominated by different armed groups of the outlawed parties, turning the districts into crime hotspots”, the newspaper said.