HC orders judicial probe

The High Court yesterday ordered a judicial inquiry into the September 29 attacks in Ramu of Cox's Bazar as an earlier probe had provided little information about the planners of the attacks.
The HC has directed the secretaries to the home and law ministries to form a three-member committee, comprising two sitting or retired district judges and an official of the home ministry.
The HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo said the committee would submit a report to it by March 2013.
The bench passed the order in response to a writ petition filed by Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, a Supreme Court lawyer who comes from Ramu. He sought a court order to form a judicial committee and conduct a fair probe.
In his petition, Jyotirmoy rejected a probe report submitted by the home ministry on November 6, as the probe body could not provide the motive behind the attacks.
The report, submitted to the HC through the attorney general's office as per the court's order, said the Ramu attacks were well-planned and mapped out at least 10 days ahead.
It said a thorough investigation should be conducted to identify the persons who planned and instigated the attacks.
The probe report mentioned 205 victims, including Buddhist youth Uttam Kumar Barua, whose Facebook page showing a tagged anti-Islam photograph apparently triggered the attacks.
The report suggested that the government offer adequate compensation to the victims and rebuild the damaged monasteries and houses.
Barrister BM Elias Kochi appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Al Amin Sarker represented the government.
A mob destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and more than 50 houses in Ramu during the violence.