More mysteries related to February Massacre in Bangladesh

More mysteries related to February Massacre in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury 
March 03, 2009

Two Chinese nationals, named Tang Yunpeng, 30, and Xang Zhaoua, 28, came out of the BDR Headquarters in the afternoon on February 26 after the bloody massacre which started on February 25. It is a great mystery as to what these foreign nationals were doing inside the headquarters of the paramillitary forces of Bangladesh. 

Recovery of two binoculars and the belts of SMGs confuses the army and others investigators as these are used neither by the Bangladesh Army and BDR nor by any other government agencies. The investigators are also having a strong question as to what police was doing since they entered the premises on evening of February 26, 2009 and a number of influential figures in the government, including Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam as well the Home Minister were frequently visiting the place. From various sources it is although confirmed that, in the name of keeping army away from the BDR headauqarters, mutineers and killers were allowed with a safe exit point to flee. But, it is still a mystery as to why the government allowed these elements to flee as well as what the influential members of the government were doing inside the dark BDR headquarters.

It is learnt by the investigators that several killers during the mutiny were having contacts with a number of influential leaders belonging to political parties. Tapes of all such telephonic conversation and SMS text messages are being collected by the intelligence agencies. Members of intelligence agencies are also keeping close eyes on the movement of some of the suspected figures, who had hands behind such notoriety in the Bangladesh Riffles headquarters.

Investigators are also considering one very specific point of sending of fax messages from the BDR headquarters by a lieutenant colonel of Bangladesh Army who was released from the place of occurrence almost 30 hours later. Copies of such facsimile communication is already in the hands of the investigators.

The investigators are also scrutinizing the reason of extreme worried faces of Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam during the parliament session on March 1, 2009, when a Condolence Bill was moved in the house. Such extreme worriness of these two questioned leaders of the ruling party even could not ignore the attention of television camera, which was live broadcasting the parliament session. It may be mentioned here that, Mirza Azam is the brother-in-law of executed Islamist militancy kingpin Shaikh Abdur Rahman.

Meanwhile, some of the figures in the ruling party, whose names are already included in the list of suspects expressed grave concern at the beginning of ´Operation Rebel Hunt´ by the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces from Monday. At the requests of such elements, the matter was raised during the cabinet meeting on the same day and the Prime Minister instructed her Principal Staff Officer to communicate a message that, during the Operation Rebel Hunt, only members of the rebel Bangladesh Riffles troops can be arrested. Others [even if suspected in the case], cannot be arrested by the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces.

In another move, the government has assigned assistant superintendent of police in CID [Criminal Investigation Department], Abdul Kahhar Akhand as the investigation officer of the BDR Massacre Case, which was lodged with a local police station. 

Although an ASP in designation, Kahhar Akhand keeps direct contact with the Prime Minister and Home Minister. As soon as he joined CID after getting back job, government became busy in arranging a new luxurious jeep for him along with all other facilities to let others in CID realize that, he [Kahhar] belongs to Awami League. ..

Now, again, the very controversial and questioned police officer like Abdul Kahhar Akhand, who had already been questioned of his efficiency and expertise by the higher judiciary of Bangladesh, has been appointed as the Investigation Officer [IO] of the very sensitive and important BDR Massacre case. 

Experts commenting on appointment of ASP Abdul Kahhar Akhand as the IO of BDR Massacre said, this might have been done intentionally by some of the policy makers of the government with the ulterior motive of putting the entire issue into suppression. 

The also believe that, government will try its best in either interfering or misguiding the investigation or would obtain an investigation report from Kahhar Akhand to match the taste of ruling party supremos.

For Kahhar Akhand, to be the investigation officer of the case is a mere opportunity as he is also lobbying strongly for a promotion in near future.

Crime experts are opinion that, a high powered investigation committee should be formed with the Inspector General of Police [who lots his son-in-law in the massacre] to investigate the case lodged with the police station and questioned people like Akhand should be immediately removed from the process. 


Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury 
In today's world, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is perhaps the most quoted Bangladeshi journalist in the international media. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The Washington Times, The Australian, The Berliner Zeitung, The Jewish State, The Jewish Week, The Guardian and many other leading international and regional dailies and periodicals have published numerous editorials on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.