Teknaf Municipality Councillor Ekramul Haque was shot and killed on May 26 as the government expanded its controversial anti-drug crackdown. His family claims security forces killed Ekram in cold blood. Five days later, his family distributed four audio clips that recorded terrifying conversations
between Ekram and his daughter and wife before he died in a hail of bullets. The audio recorded on a mobile phone also captured sounds of gunfire and groans of the dying man.
The authenticity of the audio could not be verified.
The death of Ekram illustrates how suspects are killed in overnight raids which security forces later routinely portray as gun battles.
FIRST CLIP
(Conversation between Ekram and his daughter)
Ekram: Hello, where is your mother?
Daughter: She is at home, why?
Ekram: I am going to the TNO office.
Daughter: Why?
Ekram: It may take time to get back home. Go to sleep.
SECOND CLIP
(Conversation between Ekram and his daughter)
Daughter: Hello Abbu. Where are you?
Ekram: I'm going to the TNO office and will return home soon.
Daughter: How long will it take?
Ekram: It won't take long. I'll come back, Inshallah. Go to sleep.
THIRD CLIP
(Conversation between Ekram and his daughter)
Ekram: I am going to Hnila. Hnila.
Daughter: Hnila? Why?
Ekram: For some urgent work.
Daughter: Urgent work? Why?
Ekram: I'm going Ammu. OK?
FOURTH CLIP
A phone kept ringing.
Ekram's wife Ayesha Begum: Allah ... please pick up the phone � pick up the phone.
Then someone received the phone.
Ayesha: I want to talk to the commissioner. Hello, who is this? Who received the call? I'm his wife.
Then, an unidentified man was heard asking: "Are you involved?"
A voice said no.
Then gunshots rang out with a man groaning in pain and another man using expletives.
Ayesha sobbed: "My husband did nothing wrong. Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Why are you killing him? He did nothing wrong."
Pressed to comment on the audio, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said: "I haven't listened to the audio yet. The BBC has asked me the same question. I'll look into the issue.
"I have always said I will take action against someone who is guilty."
Mohammad Mufti Mahmud Khan, spokesman for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), said, "We have listened to the audio. There are many types of audio. We'll look into it. "
CONTROVERSY
Former Bangladesh Human Rights Commission Mizanur Rahman said, "It has severely questioned the entire operation."
"There is a big question over its legitimacy and law and order. Those who are involved in human rights in some way or even the ordinary people who initially supported this campaign now realise that any family may fall in danger if anybody chooses to bypass the law."
"This incident is a clear example."
-bdnews24.com
