Two issues to take note of
The law is the final arbiter. Photo: Frances Twitty
THE first is the threat of terrorism, which we should neither underplay nor overplay. Everyday a new dimension is being added to the Pilkhana massacre investigation. No sooner did the investigation start than the minister for commerce informed us that there was a link between JMB and the killings that took place on February 25. This information, he claimed, emerged from the interrogation of the BDR soldiers. And he had kept repeating the same assertion in different places at different times after that. The commerce minister is, we are told, the coordinator of the investigations. One wonders what is there to coordinate between the functions of the two investigation committees except for occasionally throwing the spanner in their work, as he has done for a few days after his assumption of the "coordinator's role" by his comments on the matter. The minister has now surprised us with the retraction of his earlier statements on the alleged militant-Pilkhana killings link, saying that the statements he had made before were not based on probe findings, rather, they were his personal observations. Should a minister be giving personal observations on a matter that is still under investigation? And really, do people have the time to digest another round of personal opinion -- as if we have not had enough of theorising on the matter. What this has done is provide more fodder to the detractors and give the impression to many that the comments may be motivated. What the motivation could be one cannot say, but surely it gives one the impression that the issue is being overplayed, quite the opposite of what we saw during the 4-party alliance tenure when we found the then government in a completely denial mode insofar as the existence of militants was concerned -- at the cost of the country's interest. No one can and should discount the presence of Islamic militant's in the country, and their capability to create damage. But what we are now given to understand is that the country has been saturated by militants, and some interesting figures by a researcher on the number of terrorists in Bangladesh, if taken literally, would have us believe that lurking behind every lamppost is a terrorist waiting to strike. By overplaying the matter we play into the hands of those that would want to paint us as a terrorist state going down the Afghan way, in the same manner as underplaying the issue does. In both instances, the state stands to suffer because of untimely observations emanating from official sources. While the refusal to acknowledge the existence of militants in the country has been counter-productive, (arrest and recovery of arms and ammunition in a madrasa in Bhola on Tuesday amply proves that the militants are organised and still active) it is equally self defeating to create a panic situation by publicising threats that create a general alarm in the public. We saw this happening with some schools in Dhaka recently, and only the day before yesterday did we come to know, from the statement of the state minister for home, that the garment factories are under threat from militants. It is not that such scenarios are beyond the realm of possibility, but one can take pre-emptive actions and build public awareness without creating panic. People in responsible appointments must not forget that every single utterance has far reaching ramifications, both at home and abroad. The other issue that we must take note of is the concern expressed by the human rights groups regarding the treatment of the BDR soldiers who are being screened and those that will be facing trial. No civilised society can overlook this important value on which the social system depends for survival. What has drawn our attention is the remark of the HRW chief in Dhaka recently that a trial by military court will not be fair. The reason given is that since the army is a party in the matter, and an aggrieved party, emotion rather than objectivity will motivate the judgments. This statement would be comical were it not for the fact that the matter is related to a very tragic situation. If we take the statement to be of substance can we not extrapolate the argument and apply it to the US trial of 9/11 suspects? It is like saying that since the US as a nation was affected by the attacks and the deaths, one could not expect justice from any US court. Let not the judicial system be short-circuited. Let the law take its course and let the best judicial minds decide the best forum to try the killers and their masterminds. Let every accused have the full protection of the law and let not their human rights be curtailed. But do not also forget that the 75 people, including 52 officers who were brutally killed, and their families, have human rights too, which we cannot afford to overlook either. Brig. Gen. (Retd.) Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc, is Editor, Defence & Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star.
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