The government yesterday assured the Buddhists at Raozan of a fair probe into and trial of the Buddhist monk assassination case and urged them to extend necessary cooperation to help arrest the killers.

Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan both gave the assurance while visiting the Hingala Woara Puyan Buddha Bihar of Dabua union under Raozan thana in the district yesterday morning.

Buddhist monk Gyanojyoti Mohasthobir was killed by armed criminals on April 21 in the Buddha Bihar, a Buddhist temple cum orphanage.

The ministers who came to visit the Buddha Bihar at the directive of the prime minister however requested the Buddhist people here not to link the brutal and heinous murder with politics in the greater

interest of the country's image.

As per demand of the local people, Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury ordered the sensational assassination case to be handed over to the CID police and to provide the Buddhist leaders and the Buddha Bihar management with the seizure list by 10pm last night.

He also assured them of measures for round-the-clock security for the temple cum orphanage.

The ministers went to the Woara Puyan Buddha Bihar founded by the slain monk at 9am after they directly flew to the Raozan Pourashabha (Municipality) ground by a chopper from Chittagong Airport.

They inspected the well-protected living room on the first floor of the orphanage where the monk was killed, went round the monastery premises and talked to the people of the orphanage who described the attack on the monk.

The minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Moni Swapon Dewan and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs Reaz Rahman also accompanied them. The immediate past local BNP lawmaker Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury, Chittagong (North) district president of BNP Golam Akbar Khondoker and other local BNP leaders were also present.

As the ministers arrived at the Buddha Bihar, several hundred people of the Buddhist community carrying placards and chanting slogans appealed for a fair trial and exemplary punishment to the killers of their "Guru" (religious teacher).

The Buddhist people led by Dr. Bikiron Prasad Dey and Dr. Jinobyodhi Bhixmu also demanded release of the relatives and other innocent people arrested and remanded in connection with the murder.

In a gathering held at the Buddha Bihar premises, leaders of Gyanojyoti Bhixmu Assassination Trial Movement Committee claimed that the killers were known to all and could be arrested within the day.

But there was an evil move to divert the incident to a different direction, they alleged, and resented that the cremation of the internationally recognised monk Gyanojyoti was forced to be held within 24 hours of the murder leaving no scope for preservation of the dead body.

Addressing the gathering, the foreign minister assured them of steps for release of the innocents. The minister for CHT Affairs Moni Swapon Dewan in his speech said that the killings of the Buddhist monk and the Hindu priest of Khagrachhari might be linked.

The ministers later went to Khagrachhari to visit the Hindu temple where the Hindu priest was killed a few days back.