A judicial inquiry report on last year’s Ramu attacks, in which 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries were torched by a mob, was submitted to the High Court yesterday.
Justice Mirza Hossain Haidar and Justice Kazi M Khurshid Alam received the report, and designated May 28 as the date for the hearing. At the same time, the HC bench ordered that copies of the report be given to lawyers from both sides.
In its report, a three-member judicial inquiry committee exonerated Uttam Barua, initially identified as the main suspect in a home ministry probe report, and dropped his name from the list of accused. However, reports later suggested that Uttam had no role with the attacks.
It named Nurul Islam Selim, son of Moktul Hossain, as prime accused and blamed 298 others for the attacks.
The report, submitted to the HC through the attorney general's office as per court order, said the Ramu attacks of September 29 and 30 were well-planned. A mob set fire to at least 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and destroyed more than 50 houses during the violence.
A home ministry investigation report, submitted on November 6 last year, mentioned 205 suspects, including Buddhist youth Uttam Kumar Barua, saying his Facebook page exhibited a tagged “anti-Islam” photograph, which apparently triggered the attacks.
But the judicial inquiry found Uttam a victim of the misuse of social media.
The judicial committee comprised dictrict judges Abdul Kuddus Mia and Sharif Mostofa Karim of Chittagong, and deputy secretary of the home ministry, Jaharul Islam Rehel.
On December 13, the bench comprised of Mirza Hussain Haider and Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo asked the government to form a judicial inquiry committee within a week, after Barrister Jyotirmoy rejected the home ministry probe and demanded a thorough investigation to identify the motive and persons behind the attacks.
