Former advisor to the caretaker government Maj Gen M A Matin (retd) has said he was not involved in the repression of Dhaka University students and teachers in 2007.
Matin's comments came on Sunday -- three days after a parliamentary sub-committee recommended legal measures against "people at the helm" of the then caretaker government for the acts of cruelty against the students and teachers.
Matin said he had, in fact, taken steps to free the detained teachers and students when he was given charge of the home ministry.
Matin was an advisor for the communications, shipping, civil aviation and Liberation War affairs ministries till Jan 14 2008. He was given charge of the home, shipping and Liberation War affairs ministries on Jan 15 that year.
Rashed Khan Menon, head of the parliamentary sub-panel on the education ministry, told reporters on Thursday that the committee has finalised its report. "It will be submitted to the parliamentary committee on Dec 21," he had said.
Many media reports the following day said the sub-committee recommended punishment for army and civil officials, including Matin, for the 2007 incident at DU.
Menon clarified: "We haven't published the report yet… (We) didn't say anything officially. His (Matin's) speech is based on the news reports.
"I don't know from where he received the information (that he has been indicted)."
Menon said the report is waiting for a final nod from the parliamentary standing committee on the education ministry.
'NO CHANCE OF SELF-DEFENCE'
On Sunday, Matin sent a statement to media offices in Chittagong titled: 'My speech about the parliamentary sub-committee's final report published in the media'.
In it, he stated that the sub-committee did not give him the chance of self-defence or to speak for himself.
"Instead, it charged me for the incident at DU in August 2007 and recommended punishment," he said.
The charge was brought "intentionally" to harass him, Matin added.
'NOT SO SERIOUS'
Asked whether Matin was named in the report, Menon said, "The former advisor had been the chief of the Crime Prevention Taskforce. So he could be named as reference (but) it's not so serious."
On Thursday, Menon had said, "We did not catch the small fries but (went for) those responsible for the incident. We have recommended bringing them to justice."
Army personnel camped on DU campus assaulted students on Aug 20, 2007 following an altercation with some students on the university's playground during a football match.
The students also assaulted some senior army officers and went on a rampage in Dhaka and other cities, burning and damaging dozens of vehicles as they clashed with the police.
The army men subsequently launched a ruthless assault on the students that went on for the next several days.
After taking office in 2009, the grand alliance government formed the sub-committee to look into the incident that had left the country shaken. The panel has recorded statements from many army men, students and teachers since then.
Matin's comments came on Sunday -- three days after a parliamentary sub-committee recommended legal measures against "people at the helm" of the then caretaker government for the acts of cruelty against the students and teachers.
Matin said he had, in fact, taken steps to free the detained teachers and students when he was given charge of the home ministry.
Matin was an advisor for the communications, shipping, civil aviation and Liberation War affairs ministries till Jan 14 2008. He was given charge of the home, shipping and Liberation War affairs ministries on Jan 15 that year.
Rashed Khan Menon, head of the parliamentary sub-panel on the education ministry, told reporters on Thursday that the committee has finalised its report. "It will be submitted to the parliamentary committee on Dec 21," he had said.
Many media reports the following day said the sub-committee recommended punishment for army and civil officials, including Matin, for the 2007 incident at DU.
Menon clarified: "We haven't published the report yet… (We) didn't say anything officially. His (Matin's) speech is based on the news reports.
"I don't know from where he received the information (that he has been indicted)."
Menon said the report is waiting for a final nod from the parliamentary standing committee on the education ministry.
'NO CHANCE OF SELF-DEFENCE'
On Sunday, Matin sent a statement to media offices in Chittagong titled: 'My speech about the parliamentary sub-committee's final report published in the media'.
In it, he stated that the sub-committee did not give him the chance of self-defence or to speak for himself.
"Instead, it charged me for the incident at DU in August 2007 and recommended punishment," he said.
The charge was brought "intentionally" to harass him, Matin added.
'NOT SO SERIOUS'
Asked whether Matin was named in the report, Menon said, "The former advisor had been the chief of the Crime Prevention Taskforce. So he could be named as reference (but) it's not so serious."
On Thursday, Menon had said, "We did not catch the small fries but (went for) those responsible for the incident. We have recommended bringing them to justice."
Army personnel camped on DU campus assaulted students on Aug 20, 2007 following an altercation with some students on the university's playground during a football match.
The students also assaulted some senior army officers and went on a rampage in Dhaka and other cities, burning and damaging dozens of vehicles as they clashed with the police.
The army men subsequently launched a ruthless assault on the students that went on for the next several days.
After taking office in 2009, the grand alliance government formed the sub-committee to look into the incident that had left the country shaken. The panel has recorded statements from many army men, students and teachers since then.
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