Dhaka: The National Independent Investigation Commission on the 2009 BDR carnage has issued a public notice urging 15 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to testify as part of its ongoing inquiry.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the commission’s special notice, released today, highlights the urgency of the matter, citing time constraints. The commission aims to complete the process of taking testimonies from these individuals by March 31 of this year. This call to testify is part of the commission’s efforts to gather comprehensive insights into the events surrounding the 2009 BDR carnage.
In addition to Sheikh Hasina, the list of individuals summoned for testimony includes prominent figures such as former army chiefs General Moeen U Ahmed and Aziz Ahmed, and Maj Gen (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, who was the former prime minister’s security adviser. Other notable figures on the list are Fazle Noor Taposh, former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, a former member of parliament from Gopalganj-2.
The notice further includes names of former members of parliament such as Jahangir Kabir Nanak from Dhaka-13, Mirza Azam from Jamalpur-3, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim from Dhaka-8. The list is rounded off by Brig Gen (Retd) Muhammad Shamsul Alam, former commander of the 44th Rifle Battalion, and other key former security and intelligence officials including Lt Gen (Retd) Molla Fazle Akbar, Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Abdul Kahar Akond, Nur Mohammad, and Monirul Islam.
The commission has requested these witnesses to inform them of their proposed schedule within seven days of the notice’s publication. Communications can be made through phone, e-mail, or letter, according to the convenience of those summoned. Additionally, the commission has made provisions for online testimonies to be conducted through video conferencing.