Govt can't avoid responsibility for death of 4 people: ASK

Human rights group Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) strongly condemned the deadly violence at the NCP rally in Gopalganj calling it a grave breach of constitutional and international rights. Holding the government accountable for the killing of four citizens, ASK demanded a full and impartial investigation.

In a statement released on Thursday, ASK stated, "The government cannot avoid responsibility for the death of the four people. An independent, impartial and full-fledged investigation committee should be formed immediately. The incident must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible for the heinous attack on NCP leaders and supporters must be identified."

ASK further emphasized the need to examine whether any negligence occurred on the part of those responsible for maintaining security during the rally. "The use of force, firing and loss of life on the public are gross violations of both international human rights standards and the Constitution," ASK stated calling the incident a threat to the democratic space of the country, human rights values and citizen security."

Terming the deployment of lethal force as unacceptable, the statement said, "It is the responsibility of the state and administration to protect these rights and to ensure that tensions are defused and lives are safeguarded during any undesirable situation. At the same time, it is necessary to refrain from excessive use of force."

The organization also raised questions about the conflicting narratives surrounding the use of firearms during the clash. "The Inspector General of Police told the media that the police did not use deadly weapons. So who used these firearms?" ASK questioned. "If this question is not answered clearly and with evidence, confusion, fear and distrust of the administration will increase among the people."