BANGLADESH

A parliamentary watchdog on Monday submitted a report on the 2007 student-teacher torture in Dhaka University blaming then chief advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed and army chief Moeen U Ahmed.

The standing committee on the education ministry also recommended bringing to trial to those 'responsible', including former military intelligence chief major general A T M Amin, brigadier general Fazlul Bari and colonel Shamsul Alam, under the existing laws to prevent a repeat of 'untoward' incidents.

Committee chairman Rashed Khan Mennon placed the 383-page report, along with a CD containing the details of the events, in parliament. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina was present when the report was placed as the day's session chaired by deputy speaker Shawkat Ali started around 4:45pm.

Awami League chief Hasina was detained on a raft of corruption charges by the 2007-08 military-installed caretaker government. The deputy speaker accepted the report but said a decision about discussion will have to wait.

Menon, president of Bangladesh Workers' Party – a ruling coalition ally – called upon the MPs to discuss the report and the government and relevant authorities to implement the recommendations made in the report.

"The student-military clash at Dhaka University and other educational institutions was not only unwanted, but a shameful and unfortunate incident for the whole nation," the report centering the August 2007 clash at the universities said.

The report also includes 13 suggestions and 11 observances including taking appropriate steps to ensure such incidents never recur.

Army men, camped on the campus, beat up students on Aug 20, 2007 following an altercation with some students on the university playground during a football match.

The students also assaulted some senior army officers, rampaged through the capital, burning and damaging dozens of vehicles as they clashed with police.

The army men then launched a ruthless assault on the students for next several days.

The violence spilled onto the streets of the capital and spread across the country, shaking the caretaker government backed by the influential army. A large number of students, along with four teachers, were arrested and were accused in a number of cases.

Student leaders in May last year blamed political ambitions of the caretaker government and 'recklessness' of the army for the violence.

They made the observations in their testimonies before a parliamentary sub-committee on the education ministry that interviewed 16 student leaders and three students of that time.

The standing committee dubbed the student-teacher uprising as an inevitable protest against the move to establish military rule by declaring a state of emergency in the country.

Gen Moeen denied having any decision-making role in the torture of students and teachers in and outside the custody in the wake of the violence five years ago.

Moeen, now in the United States, on Sept 13 last year in a tele-conference with a parliamentary sub-committee, however, said that the incidents in August, 2007 were 'unfortunate' and 'unwanted'.

SUGGESTIONS

The standing committee, initially holding 'responsible' Fakhruddin and Moeen for the atrocities on students-teachers, recommended that they be 'tried under the existing laws'.

Besides, the committee also suggested that 'regulatory' steps be taken against then police chief Nour Mohammad for 'failing' to 'carry out his responsibilities'.

It also dubbed essential to stop 'interference' of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in 'civilian matters', especially those political.

The committee demanded abolition of the 'Task Force for Interrogation (TFI)' or joint forces' questioning cell, terming 'torture' conducted there as 'unacceptable in a civilised and democratic' country.

It also suggested holding regular polls at the central student unions of all universities, including the DUCSU.

AN INEVITABLE REACTION

The report contains 11 observations of the committee.

It dubs the clash as an 'inevitable reaction' against the initiative to 'establish military rule by declaring the state of emergency', and highlighted the role of courageous DU students and teachers in the past against autocracy and military rule, including the language movement, liberation war, the anti-autocracy uprising in 1991.

The report also points out that the initiative to set up a military camp inside DU campus without the permission of the authorities was a step to subdue students' uprising and this sparked off the clash.

It also marks that the 'armed forces', including Police, RAB, military and their intelligence, has a 'tendency' to disregard civil administration during 'emergency situations', which is 'unwanted' in a 'civilised' country.

The committee also said that the then caretaker government and army heads – Fakhruddin and Moeen – 'intentionally' did not act 'adequately'.

"The law-enforcers acted on their direct and indirect instructions. Specially, in arresting the teachers, dilly-dallying their release, sentencing them to prison terms and then in getting them pardoned by the president — they were involved in all these," the report read.

"Then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nour Mohammad cannot also avoid the blame in any way as he made no attempt to control the situation."

LONG-TERM CONSPIRACY

The committee also said that there was a long-term plan behind the violence as the teachers tortured in the TFI cell were repeatedly asked questions like whether they had any ties with the then prime minister, if there were any such signs in the student uprising, whether they have received any funding from the neighbouring country, etc.

The report says there were attempts to make debatable a specific political party and a neighbouring country. "At the same time, an opportunist faction formed a party named the King's Party and attempted to politically rehabilitate them."