The judicial inquiry commission on Wednesday requested the people to provide information by August 6 about ‘violence, arson attacks, looting and criminal activities’ that took place across the country in between July 5-16 during the students’ quota reform movement.
The commission’s chairman Khandaker Diliruzzaman, at a press briefing told reporters that the students started the quota reform movement since July 5 when the High Court in a verdict on June 5 scrapped the cabinet division’s October 5, 2018, circular abolishing 56 per cent quotas in government job.
In fact, the High Court delivered the verdict on June 5, not July 5.
The cabinet division, in a circular, on July 18 formed the inquiry commission comprising Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman, to find out ‘the reason for deaths of six people on July 16’ during the protest, and ‘identify the persons responsible for their deaths’.
The commission was requested to submit its report to the government within 30 days.
‘More incidents took place after the publication of the circular, but till now the inquiry commission has been asked to probe the incident of six people,’ Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman came up with the remark in answer to a query during his first press briefing since formation of the commission on July 18.
He said that the commission would not go beyond its ‘terms of reference’ which included the deaths of six people on July 16 and the violence during the period.
He, however, said that there might be separate ‘legal action’ regarding incidents that took place after July 16.
Diliruzzaman said that the commission decided to seek information in between July 5-16 after holding its first meeting at the Supreme Court auditorium in the capital. Â
He said that information could be sent directly to the commission by post or email which would be published later in various newspapers.Â
When asked if the commission would visit places of the incident, the commission head said, ‘Once the situation normalises a bit and we have everything in order, we will visit the places.’
‘We [the government authorities] are investigating killings and violence after July 16. We will look into other incidents if the commission can be empowered to investigate these incidents,’ law minister Anisul Huq told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Tuesday night.
Secretary for coordination and reform Mahmudul Hossain Khan, additional secretary Zaheda Parvin, deputy secretary Tanvir Ahmed and High Court registrar Mashiar Rahman provided secretarial assistance to the commission.
