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Kamal for ex-CJ heading neutral judicial body to probe attack

Seeks greater unity against communal, terrorist forces

Staff Correspondent
Jatiya Oikya Mancha President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday asked for a neutral judicial probe commission headed by an ex-chief justice (CJ) to investigate Saturday's grenade attack on Awami League (AL) rally and accused the government of failing to maintain law and order.
"We must insist upon an effective, independent, neutral commission of inquiry headed by one or more former chief justices, whose appointment should follow after consultations by the government with different segments of the public
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and the opposition parties," Kamal said.
The commission should have the power to designate such other investigations into bomb blasts and into illegal import of arms. He also demanded investigation into all such incidents.
"It must investigate the activities of those who have manifested intolerance and promoted activities against vulnerable groups and propagated hatred and resorted to violence to curb our freedoms."
"The latest attack should be treated as a final warning of the grave danger which faces us," he added. "We must act now and act together," he said.
"There has been a persistent failure on the part of the government which is entrusted with the responsibility of protecting life and property of the citizens," Kamal, also an eminent jurist, said at a press conference at the National Press Club.
He also called for a greater national unity to resist communal and terrorist forces.
The attack shows the fundamentalists who do not believe in democracy, abuse religion and had worked against independence were engaged in the attack on the peaceful rally, he said.
He said these elements have now been emboldened by official condonation or inaction to hold out threats against the free press, courageous journalists and their opponents. They have not hesitated to take the law into their own hands with apparent impunity.
He expressed profound shock at
the loss of lives and condemned the "brutal" attack and questioned the professional efficiency and neutrality of the law-enforcing agencies in protecting national security.
"Manipulating law-enforcing agency personnel in the self-serving interest of narrow coteries to maintain themselves in power through unholy alliances is what has brought us to the edge of a national disaster," Kamal said.
He observed every attack starting from Udichi blast in Jessore to Sylhet car bomb explosion was a warning to the nation of the grave threat but there has been no effective investigation or action as yet.
The national reaction after the grenade attack on the rally has been one of shock but 'this must now turn into a serious and concerted action', he said.
In the past, investigations were announced and even judicial commissions were set up, but these ended with no results. There has been no identification of the source of these attacks nor of those who patronise and protect the perpetrators, he alleged.
"The overwhelming majority of our people cherish democracy and have a tradition of tolerance, communal harmony and solidarity," Kamal added.
He called upon all democratic, peace-loving citizens irrespective of profession to unite against the communal and fundamentalist forces engaged in conspiracy to destabilise the nation.
Leaders of the Jatiya Oikya Mancha Saifuddin Ahmed Manik and Zahirul Islam, among others, were present.