Staff Correspondent
The administrative probe body formed to investigate the sensational seven murders incident of Narayanganj is likely to submit its report on Wednesday next after 11 months of its formation.
The initiative was taken after elimination of confusion over the High Court bench where the report would be submitted. The confusion was created while the new chief justice divided the HC bench that ordered to probe the sensational seven murders incident.
Member Secretary of the probe body Abul Kashem Md Mohiuddin, first secretary of the National Board of Revenue NBR, told The Daily Observer on Thursday that the body, led by Public Service Commission Secretary Shahjahan Ali Molla, has already finalised its report.
The seven members of the body are now reviewing the report before its submition to the High Court. It would be completed by next Monday. We may submit it to the High Court by Wednesday, he said.
Seven people, including Narayanganj City Councillor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker, were abducted on Apr 27 last year. Their bodies were found floating on the Shitalakhyya River after several days.
Nazrul's family alleged that local Awami League leader Nur Hossain, also councillor of the same city corporation, paid the RAB Tk6 crore for the abduction and murder. In the case, they named Hossain as the prime suspect.
The High Court bench led by Justices Md Rezaul Haque and Gobinda Chandra Tagore issued a rule and ordered to form a probe committee on May 5.
The Ministry of Public Administration formed the body on May 6 and it started functioning from May 7. The panel took 11 months to prepare a formal report.
Mohiuddin said that they recorded statements of over 400 people. They spoke to some more than once during the investigation. He, however, would not disclose their findings or their recommendations.
Earlier, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted its findings to the High Court in December.
When asked about the delay on submission of the report, Mahiuddin said, "We, the seven members of the committee, have tried to work together from the very beginning. But, we faced lack of coordination among the members of the body due to transfer from the previous assignment."
Shahjahan Molla was the additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry during the formation of the committee. Mohiuddin was a deputy secretary of the ministry then. They were transferred later from previous office.
Law Ministry's Deputy Secretary Mustafizur Rahman, a member of the committee, was also transferred as registrar of the High Court later.
He said that finally they could manage all of the members' together and completed preparation of the report, Mohiuddin said.
"We were also confused about the submission after division of the High Court bench while the new chief justice reorganised the HC benches taking its office. Finally, we have taken opinion of the attorney general office. They suggested us to submit the report before the main court. One of the two justices is still in the court," he said, adding, "We will submit our report before the court."
Mohiuddin also said that they had tried to quiz Nur Hossain. But, they failed due to delay of his repatriation. The body was not allowed to quiz him visiting India, where he was detained. The report was prepared based on the information that they obtained interrogating the persons involved in the gruesome murders.
According to the sources, they have found around 40 persons guilty, including 21 members of the RAB and Nur Hossain. Narayanganj RAB's former Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Tareque Sayeed and Major Arif Hossain and some of the allies of Nur Hossain were also found guilty in this connection.