Six years after three BNP workers were killed in what police passed off as separate 'crossfires', their families on Monday filed official complaints accusing several police officers and local political figures.
The complaints were lodged at Daulatpur Police Station on Kushtia on Monday morning, with family representatives submitting three separate First Information Reports (FIRs). Among those accused are former Kushtia Superintendent of Police Tanvir Arafat, several police officers, and members of the Awami League and its youth wings.
Officer-in-Charge of Daulatpur Police Station Mahbubur Rahman confirmed the matter.
"We will take the necessary action after consulting with higher authorities," he said.
The three BNP workers—Altaf Hossain, Kudrat Ali, and Madan Ali—were killed in separate crossfire incidents between 2018 and 2020. Altaf Hossain, a Jubo Dal member, was killed on May 8, 2018. Madan Ali, killed on October 30, 2018 and Kudrat Ali, killed in July, 2020 were both BNP activists.
"My brother, Madan Ali, was pressured by Awami League members to join their party," said Kadam Ali, the brother of Madan Ali and a plaintiff in the case. "When he refused, they falsely accused him in various cases and eventually arranged for his killing in a crossfire."
The plaintiffs, accompanied by local BNP leaders, including Daulatpur Upazila BNP President Reza Ahmed Bacchu Mollah, said they were unable to file cases earlier due to an unfavorable political climate.
"For 15 years, there was no opportunity to seek justice. Now that conditions have improved, we are pursuing legal action," Bacchu Mollah stated.
The complaints have accused several high-ranking police officers, including then-Superintendent of Police SM Tanvir Arafat, the Officer-in-Charge of Daulatpur Police Station, and other local law enforcement personnel, as well as political leaders from the ruling Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League.
During the previous Awami League government's 15 years in office, the words 'crossfire', 'encounter' or 'gunfight' became bywords for extrajudicial killings committed by law enforcement agencies, which had grown alarmingly before the backlash from the killing of Major (retd) Sinha in Cox's Bazar and sanctions imposed by the United States government, both in the latter half of 2021, forced them to be reined in.