Parliamentary body unhappy

A parliamentary body yesterday severely criticised members of the law enforcement agencies for arresting BNP leader Khairul Kabir Khokon in "baseless" cases filed over the torching of a train and vandalism at the Narsingdi district commissioner's bungalow on November 2.
The filing of such baseless cases tarnishes the government's image, Mujib-ul-Haque Chunnu, a member of the committee, quoted two members of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry, including Mirza Azam, treasury bench whip, as saying at a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The body also asked Home Minister Sahara Khatun, State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku and top police officials about the reasons behind the arrest of Khokon, meeting sources told The Daily Star.
Tuku then said it was better not to discuss an issue which was under investigation.
Talking to The Daily Star, Chunnu, a Jatiya Party lawmaker, said, "I told the state minister for home that it was the parliamentary standing committee's responsibility to oversee the functioning of the ministries.
"How will the accountability of a ministry be ensured if you [state minister] discourage us from speaking?"
Maj Gen (retd) MA Salam, chief of the House body, at this stage intervened and asked top police officials to arrest the real culprits involved in the killing of Narsingdi mayor Lokman Hossain upon a proper investigation of the case.
Following Lokman's murder on November 1 at the Narsingdi district AL office, infuriated citizens torched a train and vandalised the DC's bungalow the next day.
Hours after Lokman's murder, Narsingdi police arrested Khokon at his Rampura residence in the capital on suspicion of his involvement in the crime, according to a report submitted by the police to a court.
As the court on November 9 cleared Khokon of the murder allegation, he was shown arrested in the two cases filed against him on November 2.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun on November 9 told reporters that the government had not influenced the law enforcers into arresting Khokon and that he had not been politically harassed.
The court later granted him bail.