August 21, charge-sheet, trial and some questions

by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
July 6, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1569/august-21-charge-sheet-trial-and-some-questions

Current government in Bangladesh led by Bangladesh Awami League is visibly determined in completing the trial into the August 21 grenade attack, which killed dozens of people, while injuring hundreds. One of the main victims of this attack was Ivy Rahman, who is the wife of President Zillur Rahman. Mrs. Rahman was critically injured and later died in a local hospital. The attackers did not through any grenade right on the dais, where the then leader of the opposition, Sheikh Hasina was virtually shielded by front ranking figures of Bangladesh Awami League. Though several grenades were charged, none of the high-profile leaders of the party, except Ivy Rahman was either injured or killed during this notorious attack.

Following the August 21 tragedy, Bangladesh Nationalist Party led Islamist coalition government initiated investigation and a large number of people were arrested and squeezed by the law enforcing and investigating authorities. It may be mentioned here that, Criminal Investigation Department [CID] was assigned to investigate the case. The interrogators hinted that Harkat Ul Jihad [Huji] kingpin Mufti Hannan was involved amongst others in this notoriety. Subsequently Mufti Hannan was arrested and interrogated, wherefrom, according to CID, some other names came as his abettors.

According to media reports and statements of the investigation authorities as well as medical autopsy of the victims, US made Arges grenades were charged during this attack, while later law enforcing agencies collected few of the un-exploded grenades from the place of occurrence as well as surrounding areas.

When a bloodless coup took place on January 11, 2007 in Bangladesh and military backed interim regime came in power, some more people were arrested in connection to August 21 grenade attack. One of them was BNP leader and former junior minister Abdus Salam Pintu, who is the elder brother of Moulana Tajul Islam, a close ally of Mufti Hannan. It was also indicated that, BNP's lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu was also involved in this crime.

But, entire scenario dramatically changed when Bangladesh Awami League had a landslide victory during general election on December 2008 and obtained brute majority in the parliament. Government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina initiated re-investigation into the August 21 case. At the same time, another case came into limelight, which is related to capture of 10-truck load arms and ammunition at Chittagong, which was actually recovered during BNP's rule. According to statements of some influential members of the ruling party as well as pro-government media, these arms and ammunitions were destined to India's North-Eastern region, where separatist groups like United Liberation Front of Assam [ULFA] are continuing armed struggle demanding liberation from India.

This statement from the ruling party leaders initially proved that, Bangladesh government was actually patronization the domestic separatist and terror outfits in India as well as, land of Bangladesh was being used as safe route to transport arms and ammunitions to the militias of the separatist groups.

Earlier, when Bangladesh Nationalist Party formed government in 1991, top ranking ULFA leader, Anup Chetia was arrested by the law enforcing agencies from Dhaka along with two of his 'comrades'. Following the arrest of Anup Chetia from Bangladesh, Indian authorities have been consistently claiming that, Bangladeshi land was being used as safe haven by Indian separatist and terror groups. Indian politicians and media were also claiming that, a number of training camps of separatist groups were erected inside Bangladesh, under hidden patronization and support from the Bangladeshi government. Dhaka has been regularly rejecting such Indian claims.

Anup Chetia and two of his fellow ULFA members were convicted by the Bangladeshi court on a number of charges.

Meanwhile, in past several years, India made numerous bids to get Anup Chetia and other leaders of ULFA extradited from Bangladeshi prison. But such extradition could not take place due to non-existence of any extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh.

When Bangladesh Awami League came in power, arrest and secret handing over of a large number of ULFA activists as well as Islamist terrorist took place. The matter became particularly exposed when Bangladeshi authorities secretly handed over ULFA leader Aravind Rajkhowa to India. At least a few dozen ULFA leaders and members had already been arrested from Bangladesh, who ended at Indian jails. It is even learnt that, some of the Indian nationals, who are members of Islamist terror outfits were arrested, handed over to Indian authorities and executed extra-judicially by Indian forces. While Bangladesh is continuing to hunt, arrest and handover suspected Indian terrorists, Indian authorities on the other hand are continuing to provide shelter to at least couple of hundreds of notorious terrorists from Bangladesh, who are using Indian soil as safe haven and continuing various forms of criminal activities including murder, abduction, extortion, rape etc.

Lately, Criminal Investigation Department and the government is claiming that, 28 Chinese made sophisticated grenades were missing from the seized 10-truck consignment of the arms and ammunitions. They also claim, some of these missing grenades were using during the August 21 grenade attack on the public meeting of Bangladesh Awami Lague with the nefarious target of assassinating the then leader of the opposition, Sheikh Hasina.

This particular statement by the investigators and the government has already generated series of questions and doubts in the minds of the commoners. It should be mentioned here that, earlier Awami Lague and the investigators claimed, US made Arges grenades were charged, while now they have shifted their own statement saying, Chinese made sophisticated grenades were using in this attack. According to defense experts, there is specific difference in shape, type of splinter and quality of Arges grenade with the Chinese one.

On the other hand, a large numbers of politicians belonging to the opposition quarter as well as civil and military officers are already indicted in the August 21 as well as 10-Truck arms haul cases. By indicting civil and military officials, the investigators of these cases have evidently proved that, Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies as well as sensitive intelligence agencies are involved in anti-Indian activities and are directly sponsoring terror inside India. Such indicting and subsequent arrest and trial of these people will probe Bangladesh as a terror patronizing nation in the eyes of international community. No one really can predict the long-term impact of such matter. But, one thing is proved beyond doubt that, law enforcing and intelligence agencies in Bangladesh are involved in various forms of politically or otherwise motivated illegal activities.

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