BNP for extensive probes

After agitating for months together, the BNP will now seek to investigate and expose.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has formed four probe committees to look into the allegations of post-poll attacks on Hindus, extrajudicial killings and violation of human rights and police atrocities against Opposition activists.

“Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, directed by the chairperson, has approved these committees,” BNP’s Assistant Office Secretary Shamimur Rahman told reporters on Thursday.

These probe bodies will compile cases of violence, identify those responsible and make recommendations in their reports, he said.

Khaleda decided to form the committees after a meeting with leaders of the Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad on Wednesday.

Each committee set up by the BNP will probe incidents in large number of districts.

The committee assigned for Sirajganj, Bogra and Gaibandha districts will have BNP Standing Committee member Jamir Uddin Sarkar as convener and advocate Sanaulla Miah as member secretary. The committee has five other members.

BNP Chairperson’s adviser AFM Abdul Halim will be the convener for the committee for Nilphamari, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon district. Syed Abdal Ahmed, general secretary of the National Press Club is the member secretary of the committee which has three other members.

Another committee for Satkhira, Jessore, Kushtia and Meherpur will be headed by Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad convener Ruhul Amin Gazi.

The committee to probe incidents in Comilla, Chandpur, Lakhsmipur and Chittagong will have BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Shawkat Mahmud.

Hindu households, businesses and places of worship in Satkhira and Jessore came under a fresh spell of attacks after the election on Jan 5.

The victims said they were punished for voting in the election.

The ministers and leaders of the ruling party have held BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami responsible for these attacks as they were trying to stop the polls at all costs.

BNP has claimed that the attacks were organised by the ruling party to divert attention from a one sided election.