Leaders of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Goshthi announced a protest programme at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium yesterday, alleging that the government is letting the real culprits off.

A total of 10 people were killed and around 150 injured in the deadly attack on the 12th Udichi Conference in Jessore on March 7, 1999.

A Jessore court acquitted all 23 accused of the case on June 28.

In a written statement, Udichi General Secretary Mahmud Selim said if the government were sincere enough, it could have stayed the proceedings of the case and reinvestigated it as an Islami militant claimed his organisation's responsibility for the incident.

"The government could stay the proceeding of the prosecution legally as a new set of accused came to light," said Barrister Arosh Ali, also an Udichi leader.

The speakers accused both the governments under which the proceedings of the case were run of using the case to harass opposition leaders.

They said the Islami militants dared to continue the same kind of militant activities again and again as the government did not take proper steps when the first incident took place on March 7, 1999.

The Udichi leaders announced to hold a programme to exchange views on July 3. They will also stage a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar on July 7.

Udichi President Golam Mohamed Idu, and leaders Abdus Shaheed Lal, Prof Kazi Madina, Manzare Hasin Sweet and Prabir Sardar were present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, three other sensational bomb attack cases in the southwestern region have gathered dust as the real accused could not be identified because of weak charge sheets, absence of prosecution witnesses and political influence, writes our correspondent in Khulna.

Two cases were filed with the Khulna Police Station for a bomb attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque in Nirala residential area in Khulna city on October 8, 1999, killing seven persons and injuring 300 others.

The police submitted the final report of the cases in 2001 as they could not identify the bombers and none wanted to become prosecution witness.

Over 100 people were injured in separate bomb attacks on a cinema and a circus fair in Satkhira on the night of September 28, 2000.

The investigation officer of the case submitted the final report in January 2004, describing the bomb attacks as a sequel to the district BNP's intra-party rivalry.

Eight persons were killed and over 100 injured in a bomb attack on an Awami League election rally on September 23, 2001.

The investigation officer submitted the final report of the case in January last year reportedly failing to identify the bombers and collect any evidence. He, however, said he could not arrest the real accused due to political influence.