"Once the Prime Minister said that she herself would take care of the case, but I came to know that some one from her office was influencing and controlling the normal procedure of the inquiry," she told BDNEWS at her Dhanmondi residence.

The diplomat-turned politician Shah AMS Kibria was killed on January 27 this year in a grisly grenade attack just after a public meeting at Boidder Bazar in Habiganj.

"Till date, actually no progress was made in identifying the mastermind behind the brutal assassination of Kibria," Asma said. "They arrested Abdul Quaiyum, the main accused in the killing, but could not or did not want to find out the source from where he collected the grenade used in the assassination," she added.

Asma expressed her doubt about the neutrality of the probe process as the charge sheet was submitted without recording the confessional statement of Quaiyum under section 164 of CrPC.

She said that as the lower court in Habiganj rejected their 'non-acceptance petition' (Na-razi petition) on the charge sheet twice, they filed a writ petition with the High Court demanding further inquiry into the case. The hearing on the writ will be held today.

Accusing the PMO of creating obstacle in way of proper investigation, she questioned: Is it a proof of neutrality of the PM?

Asma pointed to the role of the then deputy commissioner of Habiganj Emdadul Haque, who favoured the conspirators indirectly. Haque's hot-connection with the PMO was proved when he was made a member of the entourage of PM during her Japan visit, she said.

She said the government is not sincere or committed to rendering justice in the case at al. "As a part of the ongoing process to block the way of justice, Sultan Mahbub, a director (admn wing) in the PMO, was appointed DC of Habiganj," she said.

"How Habiganj becomes so important that they set an 'own man' on the top of the local administration?" Asma questioned demanding withdrawal of the DC.

When FBI agents came to investigate the case in Bangladesh, Quaiyum was not allowed to talk thoroughly with the FBI despite his willingness, she said terming the incident 'mysterious.'

"Quaiyum's confessional statement is not being recorded as his revelations might create trouble for the government," Asma said demanding a fair international probe by FBI or Interpol into her husband's assassination.

"I have confidence in the capability of our intelligence agencies if they are allowed to work fairly, but often they are not, especially in this case that carries a highly political significance," she said.