Mass inquiry commission to try 1/11 actors in public

Says Moudud

23 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Unb, Dhaka

BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed yesterday said a national mass inquiry commission will be formed soon with representatives of different professional groups to try six actors in public of 1/11 “illegal” caretaker government. The actors are: Former army chief Gen (retd) Moeen U Ahmed, former chief advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury, former home advisor Maj Gen (retd) Abdul Matin, Maj Gen (forced retd) Amin, and Brig Gen Bari who was called back from Bangladesh Mission in Washington but did not return. Addressing a press conference at his Motijheel chamber, Moudud said all the six will be put on `mass trial' for unconstitutionally ruling the country causing harm to the national interest. He said the commission will not be formed under any political party's banner. The mode of the commission and its terms of reference will be determined soon through discussions with cross-sections of people and leaders of professional groups - teachers, engineers, businessmen, former judges, legal experts and journalists. Moudud said the commission will be set up as the present government does not want to hold trial of the main actors of the 1/11 emergency government. Awami League has come to power with their support, he alleged. He said primarily, the commission will examine how the last caretaker government violated the Constitution, identify the economic and social sectors that suffered during its rule, and also see how it damaged politics, politicians and political institutions in the name of anti-corruption drive. He said it will also find out data and information of violation of human rights, torture on people, injustice, killing, arrest, torture on remand and killing in police custody during the last caretaker government. Replying to a question, Moudud, former law minister of the previous BNP government, said he wants to remain as a lawyer of the planned commission, not as BNP leader. Though pressed hard, he would not say the possible date of setting up the commission. “It would be formed soon,” he told reporters. Moudud said the matter will be dealt with seriously and methodically to set up an instance so that the country is not placed under such unconstitutional rule in the future. He said the present government, after assuming power, had pledged that it will publish a white paper on the activities of the last caretaker government but till date no such initiative has been taken. He said the demand for trying the six persons was raised from a grand rally of lawyers (pro-BNP) held recently in the capital. Besides, people from all spheres of society also manifested such aspiration at the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's grand rallies at the divisional HQs.