JS body rejects judicial probe report on DU campus
Friday, 21 August 2009
A parliamentary panel has rejected the judicial probe report on the campus violence of Dhaka University that took place on August 20, 2007, reports bdnews24.com.
Terming the report 'inadequate and irrelevant', the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education Ministry decided to find out the perpetrators of the three-day violence sparked by some members of the armed forces.
Rashed Khan Menon, chairman of the Standing Committee, told the journalists Thursday after its eighth meeting that the Law Ministry had given a parliamentary panel its consent to go ahead with its investigation.
The committee at its previous meeting decided to re-investigate the violence resulting in the arrests and torture of scores of students and teachers across the country by members of the armed forces.
"The judicial probe report did not identify the persons responsible for the three-day (Aug 20-23) violence on the Dhaka University campus.
"Instead, it included some irrelevant issues like the University Act of 1973 and the justification of political involvement of the university teachers and students," Menon told the journalists at parliament's media centre.
He said 10-member standing committee would investigate the incident to let people know the fact.
The military-backed caretaker government then tasked Justice Habibur Rahman Khan to probe the unrest at Dhaka University.
The Education Ministry in line with the committee's demand produced the judicial probe report before the standing committee Thursday. "We have not formed a sub-committee to investigate the incident. The standing committee itself will probe it," added the chairman.
Menon said the Ministry could not produce any documents on the campus violence other than the order on the amnesty for four teachers of Dhaka University arrested after the unrest.
"Even the Home Ministry could not provide us detailed papers on the cases filed against the students and teachers," he said.
"Therefore, as part of the investigation the committee has decided to request the Information Ministry to provide the TV footages, photos and newspaper articles on the violence."
He said the cases against the teachers were withdrawn, but many students were still going to the court to stand trial for the 'staged game'. "Ten cases regarding the violence are yet to be lifted. "We have recommended that the government withdraw the cases by an executive order," said Menon.
On August 20, some army persons had altercation with some Dhaka University students at the university's play- ground during a football game over a trifling matter. The army men then beat up the students.
Terming the report 'inadequate and irrelevant', the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education Ministry decided to find out the perpetrators of the three-day violence sparked by some members of the armed forces.
Rashed Khan Menon, chairman of the Standing Committee, told the journalists Thursday after its eighth meeting that the Law Ministry had given a parliamentary panel its consent to go ahead with its investigation.
The committee at its previous meeting decided to re-investigate the violence resulting in the arrests and torture of scores of students and teachers across the country by members of the armed forces.
"The judicial probe report did not identify the persons responsible for the three-day (Aug 20-23) violence on the Dhaka University campus.
"Instead, it included some irrelevant issues like the University Act of 1973 and the justification of political involvement of the university teachers and students," Menon told the journalists at parliament's media centre.
He said 10-member standing committee would investigate the incident to let people know the fact.
The military-backed caretaker government then tasked Justice Habibur Rahman Khan to probe the unrest at Dhaka University.
The Education Ministry in line with the committee's demand produced the judicial probe report before the standing committee Thursday. "We have not formed a sub-committee to investigate the incident. The standing committee itself will probe it," added the chairman.
Menon said the Ministry could not produce any documents on the campus violence other than the order on the amnesty for four teachers of Dhaka University arrested after the unrest.
"Even the Home Ministry could not provide us detailed papers on the cases filed against the students and teachers," he said.
"Therefore, as part of the investigation the committee has decided to request the Information Ministry to provide the TV footages, photos and newspaper articles on the violence."
He said the cases against the teachers were withdrawn, but many students were still going to the court to stand trial for the 'staged game'. "Ten cases regarding the violence are yet to be lifted. "We have recommended that the government withdraw the cases by an executive order," said Menon.
On August 20, some army persons had altercation with some Dhaka University students at the university's play- ground during a football game over a trifling matter. The army men then beat up the students.