The High Court on Monday issued a suo moto rule asking the government to form a seven-member committee to investigate the allegation that Rab personnel were involved in the killing of Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and six others. An HC division bench comprising Justice M Rezaul Haque and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore passed the order after advocate Shamim Sarker drew attention of the court to newspaper reports that slain Nazrul’s father-in-law accused Rab men of taking Tk 6 crore in bribe to conduct the abduction and killing operation. Issuing the rule, the HC pointed out that the seven-member probe committee should be headed by an additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, with two members each from the Ministries of Public Administration, Home and Law functioning not below the rank of deputy secretary. The HC order further said the probe committee will start functioning after receiving its orders and report on compliance through the office of the Attorney General. The HC also asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure security of the witnesses in connection with the incident. The HC also asked not to involve Rab in the investigation as it is the agency the members of which have been accused of taking bribe. Besides, the HC asked the Rab authorities to initiate departmental investigation into the allegation. The HC order also asked the Detective Branch of Police (DB), which is already engaged in an investigation, to keep abreast with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in this regard. On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area in Narayanganj city. Hours into their abduction, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge’s Court, Chandan Kumar Sarker, and his driver were abducted while they were going to capital Dhaka. Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakhya and Dhaleshwari rivers on April 30. Besides, the body of Jahangir, the car driver of Nazrul Islam, was recovered from the Shitalakhya River on May 1. – UNB
