"The commission did not name the country anywhere in the report but made several hints since naming it will create repercussions in the diplomatic quarter," a well-placed source told The Daily Star yesterday, a day after the one-member commission submitted its report to the government.

The source, however, would not name the local agents of the foreign enemies blamed for the carnage, saying it is impossible for the judicial commission to identify the perpetrators.

"It is the responsibility of the intelligence agencies to trace them. The commission conducted the inquiry at a macro level and hinted only at the operatives and the masterminds," the source said.

The report termed the deadly incident a naked attack on the independence and sovereignty of the country and recommended the intelligence agencies be immediately revamped for foiling a repeat of such incidents.

"No recommendation was made for the defence forces since they have the mandate to protect the country from the external forces. The report rather asked for making the intelligence agencies efficient so that they can trace such plots much earlier and foil them," the source said.

The commission conceived the idea of foreign link to the incident after discussions with former officials of the police and intelligence agencies, sources said. The officials gave the commission a picture of the operations of foreign intelligence agencies in Bangladesh.

Taking advantage of confrontational politics at home, a foreign intelligence agency has been working for long to have a stronghold in Bangladesh, the sources said.

The commission observed local intelligence and security agencies are incompetent and their officers are frustrated with contractual appointments and authorities' neglect of the competent investigators.

It recommended promotion of efficient officials in the agencies, which it believes, will make them more sincere in their job, the sources said.

The report made 22 recommendations including one for increased security for the leader of the opposition.

Apart from recommending filming of rallies and meetings by intelligence agencies for identifying perpetrators of such attacks in future, the commission suggested cordon off the rally venue to facilitate an immediate search for and arrest of the attackers.

All buildings near the venue must be checked properly before a rally or meeting begins, the commission recommended.

The commission also suggested a forensic laboratory be set up at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a bomb disposal squad of the police.

GRENADES, NO BULLET

The commission said only grenades were used in the attack, but it failed to specify the how many grenades were hurled during the attack. It said one grenade might have been thrown from above and the rest from the ground.

The commission did not find any evidence of bullets said to have been fired at Leader of the Opposition and AL President Sheikh Hasina's bulletproof vehicle that carried her to her residence after the attack.

It said grenade shrapnel left the marks in the vehicle.

BABAR MUM

State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar yesterday declined to comment on the judicial commission's report.

"I'll not talk about this matter," Babar told The Daily Star last night by phone when asked if they would go public with the report.

The commission submitted the report to the home ministry Saturday after six weeks of investigation.

'MAKE REPORT PUBLIC'

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Dr M Zahir, who is also a member of Supreme Court Bar Association team probing the incident, said, "The report should be made public as people have the right to know its content."

The government also has the right to decide otherwise if the report contains sensitive and secret information, he told The Daily Star last night by phone.

Dr Zahir declined to comment on the foreign link to the incident, saying that he did not know the content of the report and that if it has named any country.

He however doubted if that information is true and said the government might think disclosure of that country's name would not be wise.