The High Court yesterday gave seven more days to the government to publish investigation report on the post 2001 election violence and atrocities.

During hearing of a writ petition, the court directed home secretary to publish the probe report through a gazette notification by April 10.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain gave seven days' time to the secretary following a time prayer moved by Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy.

Earlier, on March 10, the court asked him to publish the probe report through a gazette notification in one week, and also ordered him to submit a report to it by April 3 (yesterday).

The home secretary told the court that his ministry had sent 1,033-page probe report to Bangladesh Government Press for its printing and publishing through a gazette notification.

Some more time is needed to complete the job, he said.

Following a HCdirective, theAwami League-led government on December 27, 2009, during its previous tenure, formed a three-member judicial probe commission, headed by retired district judge Mohammad Sahabuddin, to inquire into the atrocities perpetrated after the 2001 election.

The commission submitted the report to the home ministry on April 24, 2011 after probing 3,625 of 5,5 71 complaints filed with it. The attorney general's office received the report from the home ministry in February.

Sources in the AG office said the commission found at least 25 ministers and lawmakers of the BNP-Jamaat government, among 26,352 people, involved in the 15-month long atrocities on Hindus and the then opposition men across the country.

Those involved in the incidents include former ministers Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Abdus Salam Pintu, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Tariqul Islam, and Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Of the 3,625 complaints, 355 were filed for political murders, while 3,270 for rape, arson, looting and other crimes.