Probe body submits report on stolen French-bound artifices Mamunur Rashid The parliamentary investigation committee has submitted its report to the concerned ministry’s JS standing committee without any recommendation about the two Bangladeshi artifices stolen from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in 2007. The report also did not mention anything about sending 189 artifices to France and anyone involve from any quarter of the last army-backed caretaker government. The three-member committee was formed with Tarana Halim, MP as its chief. Two other members are: Begum Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, MP and Momotaj Begum, MP. Probe committee sources said the cultural ministry on behalf of National Museum had signed an agreement with the French government to give anthropological instruments for short time to show in the Gima Museum in French. Civil society and some left leaning organisations protested the agreement. National Archeology Protect Parishad also sued a case with the High Court division in this regard. The court gave the verdict to stop initiatives on agreement. But the then government did not follow the court decision. The government gave 189 archeological instruments to the French government. At the first step 45 artifices were sent to France for exhibition. Later, some artifices were stolen from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 20, 2007. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered two destroyed artifices from Uttara and Amin Bazar areas after ten days of the stolen incident. At least 12 officials of the airport, including one former member of the parliament, were arrested for their involvement with this stolen incident. Then cultural advisor of the caretaker government also resigned for the stolen incident of the artifices. After the civil society demanded, the 45 artifices were brought back home without exhibition. Awami League-led government had formed the probe committee to investigate the matter and to find out the culprits who are involved with the stolen of artifices within one month. But the probe body failed to submit the report in a month. They submitted the report after 19 months. Committee member Begum Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, MP, who did not sign the report, said the committee chief submitted the report without any discuss with the French authorities or and home bound courier service of the artifices. Two artifices were stolen after handed over to the French authorities, she added. Dr MA Kamal Ury, convener of National Archeology Protect Parishad told reporters that without any investigation the investigation team has submitted the report. The godfather of the smugglers of artifices will have been brought to the light if the committee investigated the matter properly, he added.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 11:14:19 +0000
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