Additional secretary to head probe
Additional secretary to head probe
In line with a High Court order, the government today formed a seven-member committee to investigate the abduction and murder of seven people including Narayanganj city panel mayor Nazrul Islam.
Headed by Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah, additional secretary to the public administration ministry, the committee will look into whether there was any negligence in rescuing the victims.
It will also investigate if any law enforcers were involved with the abduction and the subsequent murder, Public Administration Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury told The Daily Star.
The committee which got its six members -- two each from the public administration, law and home ministries -- will submit a progress report after seven days to the High Court through the attorney general.
Nazrul and his four aides, senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver were abducted almost at the same time after they left the court area by two cars in Narayanganj on April 27. Six bodies, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river three days later, and another the following day.
HIGH COURT ORDER
Amid uproar over Rab personnel's alleged involvement in the abduction and killing, the HC yesterday ordered the government to keep the elite force from probing the incidents and directed the government to form a seven-member committee headed by an additional secretary of the public administration ministry to investigate the brutal murders.
In a suo moto order, the HC asked the government to form the probe committee with two officials, not below the rank of deputy secretary, from each of the public administration, law, and home ministries.
The court asked the ministries to inform it about the progress in the probe within a week.
The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore directed the Rab chief to run departmental enquiry to see whether any of its personnel was involved in the abductions and murders.