Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday came down heavily on the government for killing people indiscriminately in the name of a crackdown against the illegal drug trade.

“We don't know the identities of those killed in the name of the drive against illegal drug trade. The godfather of drugs is in parliament. Hang them after trial,” Ershad, also special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said at an iftar and discussion programme in the capital.

The Jatiya Party's central committee organised the programme at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.

In his speech, Ershad said people could not be killed like that without a trial as every person had a right to get justice.

“There is no such instance anywhere in the world. The world community will not accept it,” said the JP boss.

He also called upon the government to enact a law keeping the provision of death penalty to eliminate illegal drug trade in the country.

Additionally, pointing to the city's traffic jam, Ershad said decentralisation of government and introduction of a provincial system of governance was needed to get rid of the gridlocks.

JP Senior Co-Chair Raushan Ershad, Co-Chairman GM Quader, Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Presidium Member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, among others also spoke at the programme.