An investigation commission of six members, headed by a former judge, has been formed to probe the violence that erupted on July 16 during the pre-scheduled public meeting of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Gopalganj district town.
The commission will investigate the deterioration of law and order, attacks on the district jail and various government installations, disruption of public safety, and other related incidents.
The Chief Adviser’s Press Wing announced the formation of the commission on Thursday.
The commission was constituted under Section 3 of the Commission of Inquiry Act,1956 for a full investigation of the incident.
The committee is chaired by Bir Muktijoddha and former Bangladesh Supreme Court justice Dr Md Abu Tariq.
Members include Khondkar Md Mahabubur Rahman, additional secretary of the Public Security Division; Md Saiful Islam, additional secretary (Senior District and Sessions Judge) of the Law and Justice Division; Brigadier General Shahidur Rahman Osmani, commander of the 21 Infantry Brigade; Sardar Nurul Amin, director (Additional Inspector General of Police) of the Central Police Hospital; and Dr Sajjad Siddiqui, chairman of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University.
The commission was formed based on recommendations from a previous inquiry committee set up after the incident.
The commission’s mandate includes identifying the root causes of the violence; pinpointing individuals or groups responsible for the attack on the NCP public meeting; recommending legal action against those responsible; analyzing attacks on the district jail and other government facilities, as well as breaches of public safety; and advising on measures to prevent such unwanted incidents in the future.
According to the commission, the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League and supporters of the outlawed Bangladesh Awami League planned and carried out the attack on the NCP meeting in Gopalganj district town on July 16. The local administration imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to control the law and order situation. As normalcy was not restored, a curfew was imposed, and armed forces were brought in under in-aid-to-civil-power assistance. The situation resulted in casualties.
Given the circumstances, the commission deemed it necessary to investigate attacks on the district jail and various government installations, alongside related incidents disrupting public safety.
The commission may include any suitable person as a member if needed. The Public Security Division of the Home Ministry will provide all secretarial and logistical support and cover necessary expenses. It may also assign any government official to assist the commission.
The commission will submit a detailed report with clear opinions and recommendations to the concerned ministry within 3 weeks.
