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Interpol to help probe rally attack

AL not happy, wants independent int'l investigation

Staff Correspondent
Interpol will assist Bangladesh in investigating Saturday's deadly grenade attacks on an Awami League (AL) rally that killed 19 people and injured 200 others, officials said yesterday.
But the decision did not satisfy the AL that demanded an independent international body to probe the incident on its own rather than assist the governmentorthepolice.
The largest international police organisation offered assistance by e-mail to the police, State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar told The Daily Star last night, adding: "We
mailed them back welcoming their help."
AL President Sheikh Hasina who survived with leg and inner ear injuries could be the target of the attacks that prompted widespread condemnation.
The decision to seek help of Interpol was first revealed to reporters by Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan at his office, who said the government intended to probe all links- "intemalorexternal".
Morshed said an all-out effort is required as Bangladesh's image as a moderate, tolerant and democratic nationisat stake.
The incidence of bomb and
grenade attacks has been growing since the Udichi bomb blast in 1999 and the government is sincere in its efforts to end it through a transparent investigation, the minister said.
"Today it is one political party, tomorrow it could be another and the government needs to get to the bottom of it," Morshed said.
Mentioning outlaws in the southwest, including Janajuddho, as suspects, the minister emphasised that no person or group would be spared from investigation, belonging to either religious extremists or splinter groups from the political left.
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Morshed also said those "who could not tolerate Bangladesh gaining credibility as a moderate Muslim nation could be out to destroy that image."
Babar told The Daily Star: "Since Bangladesh is a member of Interpol, we believe the investigation would be strengthened with the participation of international experts."
"We are seeking their help to accelerate the investigation, not because nothing is coming out of the investigation as the result cannot be expected overnight," Babar said.
"How many of them (Interpol personnel) or when would they arrive would be decided much later," he said. WHAT IS INTERPOL
Interpol facilitates cross-border joint-operational activities of its 181 member countries providing a range of criminal database, analytical services and an inter-police communication system.
It provides assistance to countries in identification of suspected terrorists operating in their countries and builds counter-terrorism capacity through training, analysis and database support.
Interpol has various projects that aim to keep track of trained terrorists, bomb attack warnings and organised crime groups that provide logistical support for terrorists.
AL DISSATISFIED
"We don't want to see any international body here only to assist our police and investigation teams formed by the government," said AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil.
"We believe only an independent and impartial international probe body will be able to trace the attackers, if it works on its own," he said.
Asked about the country's sovereignty and involvement of an international body in the investigation of the attacks, Jalil said: "Is there sovereignty of Bangladesh after the August 21 attacks? The attacks were against the country's sovereignty."