BNP hiding Ilias, Tuku tells JS body
Neither the government nor the law enforcers can do anything if BNP continues hiding their missing leader M Ilias Ali, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku told a parliamentary body yesterday.
A Jatiya Party lawmaker, who was present in the meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, told The Daily Star quoting Tuku.
Earlier on April 19, the state minister said that his ministry had already directed every law-enforcing agency and detective wing to find Ilias. However, he defended the law enforcers and the government itself following sharp criticisms from members of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry
Ilias Ali, 51, a BNP organising secretary and a former MP, and his driver went missing in the wee hours of April 18.
Mujib-ul-Haque Chunnu, MP of Jatiya Party raised the issue of Ilias's disappearance and enquired Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker of the progress made in tracking down Ilias.
“You [IGP] have to inform us [lawmakers who are also members of parliamentary panel] about the progress made and inform us categorically whether you have failed or not,” Chunnu quoted himself to the reporters as saying.
The IGP informed the committee that no “desired progress” on the much-talked about issue has been made so far.
At one stage of the conversation between the IGP and committee members, Shamsul Haque sided with the IGP saying, “What can the law enforcement agencies or the government do if Khaleda Zia or BNP keeps him in hiding,” meeting sources quoted Tuku.
Maj Gen (retd) MA Salam, chief of the House body then asked the IGP and Rapid Action Battalion Chief to find Ilias within the shortest possible time.
“People want to know about this sort of sensational incidents. So the law enforcement agencies should perform more efficiently,” the chief told the reporters at a briefing. In the spate of criticism by the committee members, the IGP assured that his forces were trying their level best to track down Ilias Ali's whereabouts.
The committee members also blasted Director General of Rapid Action Battalion Moklesur Rahman for Rab's failure to find killers of journalist couple Sagar-Runi who were brutally assassinated early February at their home.
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