Bangladesh News

The masterminds behind the killing of Awami League (AL) leader Shah AMS Kibria are left out of investigation, putting the blame only on Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (Huji), the slain leader’s son and other speakers alleged at a discussion yesterday.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the sluggish progress of the 2005 murder case, they said that the Huji could be involved in the killing, but their patrons were in the then BNP-Jamaat government.

“Everything will become clear if Khaleda Zia, Saifur Rahman, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Lutfozzaman Babar and Tarique Rahman are tried,” AL leader Abul Mal Abdul Muhith said at the discussion held at Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium of National Museum in the capital.

He also delivered the memorial speech on Kibria titled “Foreign Policy of Bangladesh and SAMS Kibria.”

Bangladesh Foundation for Development Research (BFDR) organised the programme on the occasion of Kibria’s third death anniversary.

The former finance minister was killed in a grenade attack at a rally in Habiganj on January 27, 2005.

Presiding over the discussion, BFDR Chairman Professor Kabir Chowdhury said that an effort is on to limit the culprits in the killing only to the Huji, whereas the main perpetrator behind it was the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. The investigators are not linking the BNP-Jamaat men to the incident, he added.

“We hoped that the investigation would progress smoothly during the period of the caretaker government, but that did not happen. Therefore, questions arise if there are people in the government favouring the Jamaat,” Professor Kabir Chowdhury said.

He also observed that at times, sympathy for the militants and the fundamentalists is noticed in the government itself. He asked the chief adviser to be careful of such elements.

Kibria’s son Dr Reza Kibria said that there is neither any effort to catch the masterminds of the incident nor any endeavour to find out about the source of grenades used in killing the former finance minister.

An ill attempt is there to put the whole blame on the Huji, he said, adding “If such is the case, I outright deny the investigation report now.” The Huji might be involved in the killing, but their patrons are not being mentioned, Dr Reza added.

Paying tribute to SAMS Kibria’s role in diplomacy and economy, Abul Mal Abdul Muhith in his memorial speech said as a diplomat in Washington in 1971, Kibria expressed his loyalty to Bangladesh government and contributed immensely in creating opinions in favour of Bangladesh in the US.

Kibria was very knowledgeable about economic diplomacy and played a strong role in various international initiatives as a Bangladeshi representative in Geneva, Muhith said.

He said Kibria also contributed actively in the process of forming Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).

BFDR Director General Monayem Sarker also spoke, while Kibria’s widow Asma Kibria was present at the programme.