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WIKILEAKS EXPOSÉ: Bangladesh Post-mutiny, Hasina sidelined Shahara

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WIKILEAKS EXPOSÉ: Bangladesh

Post-mutiny, Hasina sidelined Shahara


WIKILEAKS EXPOS: BangladeshPost-mutiny, Hasina sidelined Shahara | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com


Mon, Sep 5th, 2011 1:24 am BdST

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Dhaka, Sept 4 (bdnews24.com)—Following the failure of the home minister in handling the situation arising out of the Peelkhana mutiny, prime minister Sheikh Hasina shifted the overall responsibility of coordination to the commerce minister, says a leaked US diplomatic cable.

Julian Assange's whistleblower WikiLeaks published the cable along with nearly 150,000 others on Aug 30.

On Feb 24-25, 2009, a total of 74 people including 57 army officers were killed in a BDR (now BGB) mutiny at its headquarters in the capital.

"On Mar 11, the prime minister shifted overall responsibility for coordinating the BDR mutiny inquiries and investigation to commerce minister Faruk Khan, possibly in response to criticism among many army officers of [Shahara] Khatun's handling of the mutiny," said the cable, sent on Mar 12, 2009.

In the wire, then US ambassador to Dhaka James F Moriarty wrote the home minister became inactive as soon as commerce minister was assigned the duty to manage the mutiny-related investigation.

Most probably, Faruk, a retired army officer, had been assigned the duty as Shahara faced objections from some army officers, he added.

The cable also pointed out that the commerce minister was close to Hasina and also a member of parliament from Gopalganj constituency, the ancestral home of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

FOCUS ON TAJ

The cable revelations also cast aspersion on then state minister for home affairs Tanjim Ahmed, popularly known as Sohel Taj.

The US ambassador also write, "(Taj), who was in the US during the mutiny, faced stinging criticism from the prime minister and others for not cutting his trip short and return immediately.

"He was voluble in explaining to the ambassador the causes that prevented his early return, including 'a family issue', a relative undergoing heart surgery, and 'a permanent neck injury' caused by a police rifle butt five years ago while 'fighting for democracy'."

"He appeared slightly unwell, but as usual, did most of the talking during the meeting, with the minister [Shahara] seeming to defer willingly to him -- possibly due to his stronger command of English," said the cable.

bdnews24.com/al/mrh/pks/nir/2345h
 
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