PM: Foreign technical assistance to be taken for judicial inquiry committee

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said foreign technical assistance will be taken for the judicial probe committee formed by the government aims at ensuring fair and standard inquiry of the quota reform movement.

"We will take foreign technical assistance for the judicial inquiry committee to make it appropriate, qualitative and highly standard," she said.

The premier said this while the German Ambassador in Dhaka Achim Troster called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.

The prime minister's Press Secretary Md Nayeemul Islam Khan briefed the reporters after the meeting.

The government has formed the Judicial Inquiry Committee with High Court Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman to probe all the deaths centring the quota reform movement in the country.

In the meeting, the prime minister said that Bangladesh, in the meantime, has a communication with the United Nations (UN) regarding taking assistance for this inquiry.

The prime minister's press secretary said: "The UN expressed interest while Bangladesh also showed willingness."

Besides, German Ambassador Achim Troster said that his country would stay beside Bangladesh.

Germany has a longstanding relationship with Bangladesh and it will be continued, he added.

Regarding religious fanaticism, the envoy said Germany has no sympathy for its accomplices, adding that it is firmly hopeful that there will be an independent inquiry based on the recent speech of the prime minister.

"It will identify the culprits and they will be exposed to the trial," he said.

Achim Troster said that the slow visa procedural system of the embassy in Bangladesh is not a dearth of goodwill rather it is being held due to the resource constraints.

He expressed regret for this unwilling delay in visa procedures.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Germany.

The German ambassador also extended his condolences on the Mourning Day on Tuesday which was declared by the government to remember those who lost their lives, including law enforcement personnel, during the quota reform movement. The decision was taken in the regular Cabinet meeting on Monday.

Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, prime minister's Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Senior Secretary of Foreign Ministry Masund Bin Momen were present.

Source: BSS