Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 300 Fri. April 01, 2005  
   
Front Page


Political Killings
Moudud rejects US report on failure to try killers


Law Minister Moudud Ahmed yesterday said trial of the former finance minister SAMS Kibria murder case will start soon and the probe into the August 21 carnage is on.

Dismissing the allegation made by a US human rights report on Bangladesh that the government has failed to hold trial of political killings, Moudud said two such incidents had occurred.

He mentioned the August 21 carnage on an Awami League rally in Dhaka last year and the January 27 grenade attack in Habiganj that left Kibria, also an AL lawmaker, dead.

The minister said police have already pressed charges in the Kibria murder case and its trial will start soon. "The investigation was entirely impartial for the fact that the prime accused is known to be a local BNP leader," he said.

On the August 21 carnage, Moudud said the government has involved the FBI and Interpol in addition to its own intelligence agencies to trap the culprits.

Even a reward of Tk 1 crore has been announced for giving information that leads to their arrest, he added.

Besides, a one-member judicial commission was formed to probe the August 21 carnage, though it could not identify the culprits, he said.

He however said the investigation process is still continuing.

Asked about publication of the judiciary commission report, the law minister reiterated he personally felt that such reports should be made public.

On the US report on human rights and democracy in Bangladesh, he said it is a routine affair of the US State Department to publish information of human rights violations in the developing countries, keeping tight-lipped on such violation in developed countries.