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| Bangladesh |
| Nizami knew it before he was informed |
| 2012-01-26 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Former secretary of industries ministry Shoeb Ahmed yesterday said that Motiur Rahman Nizami ...During the liberation war of 1971, Nizami formed the Al-Badr Force and acted as its supreme commander. The Al-Badr militia took active part in rape, extortion, looting and killing of Bangladeshis who supported the liberation, including a pre-planned massacre on December 14, 1971, when the Al-Badr militia along with Pakistan Army rounded up hundreds of doctors, professors, writers, and other Bengali intellectuals, and executed them... knew about the arms haul incident before he passed on the information to Nizami. Shoeb said this to a Chittagong court while giving his deposition in connection with the 10-truck arms haul cases. In reply to a question of defence lawyer Mohsin Uddin Talukder, Shoeb said that he talked to the then industries minister Nizami on April 4, 2004, after being informed of the incident by the chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) on April 2. Nizami also talked to the highest authority of the government about the arms haul, he said. "What do you think haven't I [Nizami] informed the prime minister and home minister about the matter?" Shoeb said quoting Nizami. The former industries secretary also said that when he informed Nizami about newspaper reports involving the ministry of industries with the arms haul incident, and requested him to conduct an investigation, Nizami replied that law enforcement agencies are probing the matter. The industries ministry need not launch an investigation separately, Nizami added. When the defence lawyer asked Shoeb whether the minister gave any written instructions on the matter, he replied if the minister concerned says that he conveyed the information to the prime minister what else a secretary can do. Earlier, the defence lawyer cross-examined Shoeb. During the cross-examination, Shoeb told the court that he directed the then BCIC chairman to give a detailed report on the whole incident immediately on April 2. The BCIC chairman could not submit the report on April 2 and April 3 as those were Friday and Saturday--the government holidays. The BCIC chairman told him that he would inform him about the whole matter on Sunday, Shoeb said. |
| Posted by:Fred |