Bangladesh News

A two-member team of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived in Dhaka yesterday afternoon from New Delhi to assist Bangladesh probe the carnage at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters.

Confirming their arrival, US Ambassador James Moriarty hinted that a full FBI team would replace this advanced team after their departure.

Meanwhile, the 11-member probe body headed by former secretary Anisuzzaman Khan yesterday sought more time to complete its investigation into the BDR mutiny.

Responding to a query from reporters at Shilpakala Academy, he said the FBI agents would work with the authorities here to figure out means to go forward with the investigation. He said Washington asked the FBI agents to come to Dhaka and the agents would perform preliminary survey this week.

The agents are expected to talk to local investigators and visit the crime scenes to have an idea on the kind of assistance Bangladesh requires to properly probe the atrocities.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said the government sought technical assistance from the FBI and the Scotland Yard for the investigation.

“Responding to our requests for assistance … they agreed to investigate and assist the investigation on the incidents took place in Pilkhana on Feb 25-26,” she told reporters. “The FBI will also provide forensic expertise to trace bodies of missing army officers killed in the BDR massacre,” she added.

The US agency would set its terms of reference for working with the local investigation team, she said. “The length of their stay depends on their work.”

She told reporters that the investigations would not be influenced like the one into the August 21, 2004 grenade attacks.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner in Dhaka Stefan Evans said a team from the Scotland Yard would soon arrive in Bangladesh.

“We have received a formal request from the government. I am hoping that a team will come out here in the near future. I am still waiting for the confirmation of the details,” he told reporters at the Shilpakala function.

The seven-day deadline for the 11-member probe committee, formed on March 2, to submit its investigation report expires today.

Talking to reporters, Anisuzzaman said there is no chance of submitting the report this week. He made the comments after a meeting with the Additional Secretary to the Home Ministry Golam Hossain at the ministry. Golam Hossain is the member secretary of the 11-member committee.

He said the committee had asked for more time for submitting its findings. Asked about the progress, Anisuzzaman said the investigation was going on and it was the government to reveal the findings.

The government earlier reformed the six-member BDR mutiny probe body by removing Home Minister Sahara Khatun and the State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam. Anisuzzaman replaced Sahara as the head of the probe body that included representatives from the Armed Forces Division