DHAKA, 2 February 2005 - Bangladesh detained five suspects, including two members of the ruling party, over a grenade attack that killed a former finance minister and four opposition members, police said yesterday.
Former Finance Minister Shah Mohammad Kibria, his nephew and three other opposition members were killed in last Thursday’s blast. Kibria, a 74-year-old diplomat-turned-lawmaker, had just completed a speech at a rally in Habiganj, 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of the capital, Dhaka, when the attack took place.
The carnage triggered violent anti-government protests across the country.
A police official said on condition of anonymity that five suspected had been detained, including two local leaders from Bangladesh’s governing coalition led by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He did not elaborate.
Two Interpol officials arrived Monday to assist in the investigation, and Bangladesh has asked the United States for additional help, officials said.
Meanwhile, the opposition Awami League and its other political allies planned a national general strike tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday to protest the killing.
No one has claimed responsibility for the grenade attack, but the opposition has blamed the government and has demanded that it resign and call elections.
The government has denied involvement and vowed to remain in power until its five-year term expires in 2006.
The strike on Sunday will coincide with a regional summit of South Asian leaders in Dhaka, but the government is determined to push ahead with the meeting.
“The strikes will not affect the summit, and most of the delegates have already flown in to attend the meeting,” Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan said.
Bangladesh expressed its optimism to host the 13th SAARC summit on schedule but said it is closely monitoring the internal political development in Nepal where the King Gyanendra has dismissed the government of Premier Sher Badadur Deuba.
“All our preparations have been complete. We’re optimistic that SAARC summit will be held on schedule,” Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told reporters yesterday evening.
Asked if political development in Nepal would affect the holding of the summit, he said, “We’re closely monitoring the development, we are trying to contact the Nepalese government and our mission in Kathmandu, but no contact has yet been established.”
Answering to a question, Chowdhury said foreign minister had telephone conversation with Pakistan Foreign Minister Mahmud Kasuri and requested him to let the Bangladesh government know about the Nepalese government’s position.
About the possibility of King Gyanendra’s taking part in the summit in the changed situation, he said, “We cannot rule it out.” He said King Birendra had represented Nepal at the first SAARC summit in Dhaka.
He said SAARC programming committee began its deliberations yesterday while the foreign secretary from Bhutan already arrived in Dhaka and the foreign secretary of the Maldives is expected late in the night.
He said summit activities have not been slowed down in the wake of developments in Nepal.
Asked about the Indian security team to assess the pre-summit security situation in Dhaka, the foreign secretary said security teams always keep on visiting on such occasions to assess the situation which is part of their job.
He said the opposition-sponsored general strike on Feb. 3, 5 and 6 would not affect the summit.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Saifur Rahman yesterday decried the general strike program during SAARC Summit as unfortunate and said he was shocked at the lack of political farsightedness of the main opposition Awami League.
