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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 25, 2004

International

International - India & World

India, U.K. offer help to Bangladesh

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, AUG. 24. India and the United Kingdom have offered to help Bangladesh in the investigation of the grenade attacks on an Opposition public meeting here on Saturday. With the death of prominent political leader Ivy Rahman, the toll has gone up to 20.

Ms. Rahman, wife of the former Minister, Zillur Rahman, was the women's affairs secretary of the Awami League.

After a meeting with the Foreign Minister, Morshed Khan, on Monday, the Indian High Commissioner, Veena Sikri, told journalists, ``We have offered to help in the investigation. We want to work with Bangladesh on this.''

Mr. Khan also held talks with the U.S. Ambassador, Harry K. Thomas, the British High Commissioner, Anwar Choudhury, and the Pakistani High Commissioner, Manzar Shafiq. Though Mr. Khan did not refuse any offer, he said Dhaka took the attack seriously and would ask for assistance in the investigation, if needed.

Government `committed'

Mr. Khan told Ms. Sikri that his Government was committed to nabbing the culprits and has appointed a judicial commission.

However, both the Opposition and the Supreme Court Bar Association rejected the one-man body, saying the Government had lost all trust.

``We are going to form our own committee,'' the Bar Association president, Rukunuddin Mahmud, said.

Call for investigation

Two days after the Opposition leader, Sheikh Hasina, called for an international probe, a host of countries including the U.K. have condemned the attacks and called for an investigation.

London assisted Dhaka in the probe into May 21 bomb explosion in the Hazrat Shahjalal shrine in Sylhet in which three persons were killed and many more including its envoy, Anwar Chowdhury, was injured. The Scotland Yard and MI5 visited Sylhet.

The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in a statement said: ``We look to the Bangladesh authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.''

The High Commissioners of Britain and Sri Lanka called on Sheikh Hasina at her residence.

The Royal Netherlands Ambassador Kees Beemsterboer read out a statement calling for a thorough investigation.

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