Ahmeds held responsible But: JS probe body still open to their self-defence

A parliamentary probe body yesterday came up with its "final observation" that Fakhruddin Ahmed and Moeen U Ahmed were responsible for the violence on Dhaka University campus in 2007.

"We'll start preparing the probe report very soon accusing the military-backed past caretaker government's chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and the then army chief Moeen U Ahmed," Rashed Khan Menon, chief of the parliamentary sub-committee, told reporters after a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Menon, also president of the Workers Party, however said they would keep the door open for the duo for self-defence till submission of the probe report in parliament's next session in September.

"The committee will include their [Fakhruddin and Moeen] versions with the probe report if they make any contact physically or through teleconference and explain their role," Menon added.

"If they don't appear before the committee or don't make any sort of communication, it would be clear the allegations against them are true," Menon continued.

"The committee held eight meetings including one with 19 students and several teachers who were tortured by a section of army personnel during and after the campus violence. The committee is now convinced the duo were responsible for the atrocities on the teachers and students of different universities, especially Dhaka and Rajshahi," Menon said.

"We also exchanged views with the then officials of DGFI, NSI and other intelligence agencies who said they had followed directions of Fakhruddin Ahmed and Moeen U Ahmed," added Menon.

The student violence flared up in the capital and elsewhere in the country in August 2007 after some army personnel beat up several students during a football match at DU gymnasium playground.

The parliamentary standing committee on education ministry on August 19 last year formed a four-member probe committee to investigate the matter.

Talking to reporters, Menon also said the military-backed caretaker regime tried to use the campus violence as a pretext to prolong its rule.

The caretaker government adopted a policy of torturing DU teachers and students with an aim to create an atmosphere for imposing martial law, he added.

Earlier, the probe body summoned Fakhruddin and Moeen twice. Both of them however did not show up and instead sent letters from the US to the committee.

Source : The Daily Star