Bangladesh News

The parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry yesterday once again slammed the country’s intelligence agencies for failure to ward off the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) rally two years ago.

The blasts left at least 23 people killed and some 300 injured.

“We said it before that the intelligence agencies had failed to carry out their duties on that day,” Committee Chairman Lt Gen (retired) Mahbubur Rahman told reporters after a meeting of the standing committee at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Committee member and AL lawmaker Col (retired) Shawkat Ali said,”The intelligence officials should be summoned to appear before the committee and explain what they had done on August 21.”

But the committee did not agree to the proposal and Chairman Mahbubur Rahman maintained that the government has already taken appropriate actions in this regard.

It endorsed a proposal of the defence ministry and asked the government to implement it immediately.

According to the proposal already sent to the finance ministry, Bir Shrestho should have as honorariums a one-off payment of Tk 2 lakh and monthly Tk 2000, Bir Uttam Tk 1 lakh and monthly Tk 1,500, Bir Bikram Tk 50,000 and monthly Tk 1,250 and Bir Protik Tk 40,000 and monthly Tk 1,000.