More than 100 dead as Bangladesh drug war escalates
DHAKA More than 100 alleged drug dealers have been killed and thousands detained in Bangladesh in the past fortnight in a Philippines-style narcotics crackdown that has raised concerns about extrajudicial killings.
Police said 10 more alleged traffickers were gunned down in the early hours of yesterday, some in shootouts with police and others in so-called gang wars between dealers.
A total of 102 suspected traffickers have been killed since Bangladesh launched an aggressive war on drugs in the middle of the month to smash the surging trade in yaba, a cheap pill combining methamphetamine and caffeine.
"We are saying that this war will continue until we bring it under complete control," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said.
Around 12,000 accused dealers have been arrested and tried in special courts since the crackdown began on May 15, with many handed jail sentences of seven days to six months, he added.
Mr Khan said there was "no question" that those killed were drug dealers, despite allegations by rights groups that innocent people had died.
"Most of those who were killed had guns. They opened fire as soon as they saw the police," he said. "They are not good people. There are 10 to 12 (criminal) cases against each of them."
The Rapid Action Battalion, an elite police unit in charge of the sweep, said all 24 people killed by its forces were "top drug traders" but provided no evidence.
Authorities last year seized a record 40 million yaba pills. - AFP
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