Untold Facts

‘Conspiracy’ Found: Uncertain Fate of Enquiries

Sheikh Hasina was heard in verbatim in the BBC (Bengali) on the 7th March evening that sounded to my ears as her final conclusion, ‘Conspiracy’, on and about the 25-26th February BDR HQ mayhem as she did in the speech made earlier on the day in a function held in Dhaka. My immediate response is that there is no more need of the three enquiry committees. I do not mean by making the hunch to say though that there was no pre-planning for the massacre by some crude and over ambitious beasts, if that could be termed a ‘Conspiracy’ as she had coined this term.

Was she right in making the observation that can not but adversely affect the findings of the three committees in midway of their investigation for any usefully credible findings? Could they dare to differ with the P.M.s prior conclusion in the matter including for some specifics that might as well turn into some witch hunting?

The three Enquiry committees are in the main manned by none other than government and party functionaries, one way or the other. Saving of one’s job and grace is not the only issue at stake, but other psychosis of fear in action, as well.

The first is the bully boys of the party in power, and more specifically of the top leader. There was a news item published in a Bengali Dhaka daily on the 8th March that the editor of national English daily was found in his car being chased on the previous day by some goons, quite likely from among the same variety of bully boys. I recall right now a high court judge’s remark made in late 1990s after delivering his judgment in a case, to a friend that he had no two heads above his neck! I recall also another senior editor of a widely circulated Bengali daily, now defunct PURBODESH in early 1970s that he also reminded me that he did not have two heads above his neck, even if one would be taken off, the other would keep him alive.

The other worrying issue is that what the Bangladesh’s P.M. Sheikh Hasina has claimed to have discovered a ‘Conspiracy’ that already the Indian important media have made known to all readers both in English and in Bengali language, if not for other language readers as I could have had from the two language newspapers published in Kolkata and other cities in the neighboring big country.
The Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika on the 28th February stated in first page lead news in red, that said ‘MODOD ISLAMI SHAKTIR’ (Had help from the Islamic forces). The Telegraph of the same Kolkata city published on the 28th February news lifted in a Dhaka Bengali daily Noya Diganta on the 1st March stated that Taka one crore or ten million funding of the Pakistan ISI was provided for the project. The Times of India on the 1st March published their idea of ISI connection of Salah uddin Quader Chowdhury, M.P., having had long family connection with the Muslim League and Pakistan, and now a BNP leader. One must wonder in amazement if the conspiracy hinted at by the P.M. was anything different from the Indian media made known already ahead of her. If they had enough material to draw almost the same conclusion, let the people know them in clear terms; and in such a case of unanimity of the conclusion already reached, is it not useless to spoil time, energy and money from the public exchequer the three committees have been spending?

The news published in the same media of preparedness of the Indian special armed force paratroopers brought from distant Agra and massed at Kalaikunda air base close to Bangladesh border and kept them ready on red alert following the BDR mayhem for meeting ‘exigencies’ in Bangladesh for the government, particularly for safety and security of Hasina, apparently a good friendly measure and move, can hardly be palatable for dignity and freedom of Bangladesh having there no conspiracy in hatching.

Such reasonable hunch has brought forward the urgent need more than ever before for constitution of enquiry committee composed of retired neutral judges of the Supreme/High Court.

Author: Dr. M.T. Hussain