Home Minister announces “sensational cases” cases for re-investigation.
1. BDR-Pilkhana
2. Nurul Islam
3. Khulna Kadiani Mosque (October 2009)
4. Bomb attack & killings at Narayanganj Awami League office (2 cases, January 2001)
5. Bomb attack at Sheikh Helal’s meeting at Mollarhat
6. Bomb attack on Salna upazila health complex quarters
7. Bombing at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA)
“The meeting accepted the death of Ganotantri Party leader Nurul Islam in fire at his house in the capital as a sensational case. Sahara said the meeting decided to reinvestigate six of the sensational cases.”
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=116957
BDR-Pilkhana is not re-investigation, but rather ongoing. The remaining 6 are re-investigation.
Nurul Islam & Islam Tamohar Case: Chronology
November, 2008: Ganotantri Party President, Nurul Islam, named the Awami League-led alliance’s nominee for the Noakhali-1 seat for the national polls to be held on Dec 29,2008.
November through December2, morning, 2008: Days before the fire broke out in their apartment, Islam Tamohar repeatedly expressed concerns to his family members about safety.
December 2, 2008: Nurul Islam cuts short his trip to Noakhali and returns to Dhaka when he is informed that his name has been listed in a local newspaper as a loan defaulter. The allegation is proven to be false.
December 3, 2008: Fire breaks out at the residence of Ganotontri Party president Nurul Islam at 3 am. His son dies in blaze and he is taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit with 40% burns. He is later moved to the Combined Military Hospital.
December 3, 2008: Before he fell unconscious in the hospital bed, Nurul Islam tells the waiting pressmen at the hospital that he had been receiving death threats from militants over the phone since he filed his nomination.
December 4. 2008: A three-member committee headed by Masudur Rahman, Deputy Assistant Director of fire service, was formed to investigate the matter and submit its report within three days.
December 4. 2008: Nurul Islam loses battle against burn injuries. A joint team of Detective Branch (DB) of police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police and Mohammadpur Thana investigate the fire incident.
December 3-5, 2008: Leading politicians, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of opposition Khaleda Zia, cultural activists, eminent persons of the country suspected the incident to be an act of sabotage, and asked the government to launch a proper investigation into the fire incident. Bangladesh Worker’s Party, Gono Jatiya Sramik League, Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971, Bangladesh National Awami Party, National Democratic Party, Dhaka University Teachers Association, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, Zaker Party, INCIDIN Bangladesh, Jatiya Rikshaw-Van Sramik League, Gono Forum, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies and Democratic Revolutionary Party and many other organisations also demanded investigation into the fire incident and the killings.
December 6, 2008: Case filed by family.
December 7, 2009: In its initial report, the Fire Service Department suggested that an electrical short circuit resulted in a fire, which caused the compressor of the refrigerator to explode.
December 22, 2008: Power Development Board issues a report indicating that the circuit breakers were intact and negating the possibility of a short circuit.
January 10, 2009: Joint DB/CID Investigation committee reports that the fire was an accident caused by an electric short-circuit.
January 27, 2009: Family and colleagues of Nurul Islam reject the report at a press conference.
March 2009: Nurul Islam’s family informed that CID is reopening the investigation.
June 13, 2009: CID tries to close the investigation citing the lack of arson/ chemical specialists to solve the case.
July 30, 2009: The leaders of Bangladesh Trade Union Centre (BTUC) participate in a human chain in Muktangan and demanded impartial reinvestigation into the death of Nurul Islam and exemplary punishment for the culprits.
Mid August, 2009: CID reopens case with a new investigation team.
October 8, 2009: CID investigating team engaged team of experts from team from Dhaka University who collected ash, water and other samples from the spot for further chemical tests. The test reports are expected shortly. While accessing the scene of the fire, the DU team expressed their conviction that there was no electrical short circuit.
December 4, 2009: One year on- a press conference held By Nurul Islam and Tamohar’s family to demand a fair and transparent investigation process.
December 9, 2009: Home Minister Sahara Khatun addressed and accepted the death of Ganotantri Party leader Nurul Islam and his son Islam Tamohar in fire at his house in the capital as a sensational case. Home Ministry (Sahara) constituted an inquiry committee and decided to reinvestigate six of the sensational cases. The final reports in these cases were filed during the previous caretaker government.
(“Pilikhana Carnage, Final charge sheer by this month: Sahara,” December 9, 2009, available at http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=116957)
Note: The six cases also include Khulna Kadiani Mosque case filed in October 2009, two cases in connection with the bomb attack and killings at Narayanganj Awami League office in January 2001, the bomb attack at Sheikh Helal’s meeting at Mollarhat, the bomb attack on Salna upazila health complex quarters and the bombing at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA).
Investigation Status:
So far the investigation results have been ambiguous, inconsistent and even contradictory:
- In its initial report, the Fire Service department suggested that an electrical short circuit resulted in a fire, which caused the compressor of the refrigerator to explode. But the Dhaka Power Development Board produced a report, a few weeks after the incident (Dec 22, 2008), indicating that the circuit breakers were intact and negating the possibility of a short circuit. In addition, an ATN report by Munni Shaha the day after the fire (Dec 4, 2008) clearly showed that the compressor of the refrigerator was in intact. Family testimony confirmed that the refrigerator in question was not in use and was not even plugged in. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, upon re-investigating the case, the CID adamantly reiterated that the fire was an accident caused by an electrical short circuit.
- There have also been repeated claims by Nurul Islam, his family members and colleagues (including Rashed Khan Menon, Khondoker Ibrahim Khaled and numerous other luminaries) that he had been receiving threatening calls. The anonymous callers urged him to withdraw his election nomination and return to the path of Allah. The police had recovered the cellphone sets of Nurul Islam, but they could not identify the persons who issued death threats to him over the phone.
- The fire that killed Nurul Islam and his son was “suspicious”. Most of the damage was limited to a relatively small area, leaving many flammable items such as papers, books, and plastic products which were all within 5-6 feet from the refrigerator almost intact. Also there were little signs of burn on the body of Tamohar Islam. In addition, eye-witnesses, including Nurul Islam himself and the neighbors who tore down the door did not mention seeing flames – they only noticed heavy smoke and intense heat. All of this evidence leads to more unsolved questions than credible answers. It was clearly not an ordinary fire, but what could have caused so much damage? It was not electric short circuit, but then what could have exploded from the front lid of an old, unplugged fridge while leaving its gas cylinder completely intact? There were no visible traces of burn in Islam Tamohar’s body, but then what exactly killed him? The investigation possibly requires arson experts and various chemical tests for which adequate laboratory facilities may not exist in Bangladesh.
