Will take foreign technical assistance for judicial body probing deaths: Bangladesh PM Hasina

Today, Tuesday, July 30, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that her government will seek foreign technical assistance for the judicial probe committee investigating the deaths during the recent anti-quota agitation to ensure a thorough inquiry. This was stated in a report by PTI.

Bangladesh witnessed unusual clashes between the police and mostly student protesters demanding an end to a controversial quota system that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971.

Furthermore, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted Hasina as saying. "We will take foreign technical assistance in the judicial inquiry committee to make it appropriate, qualitative and highly standard."

Bangladesh was in touch with the United Nations (UN) regarding taking assistance for the judicial inquiry, the official BSS news agency quoted her as saying.

In addition, Hasina made the remarks while Germany's Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Troster called on the premier at her official residence Ganabhaban.

The government has formed the Judicial Inquiry Committee with High Court Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman to probe all the deaths linked to the quota reform movement in the country, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Md Nayeemul Islam Khan told the media.

The Bangladesh government, for the first time on Monday, July 29, officially acknowledged that 150 people were killed across the country during the students' unrest over the quota system.

Besides that, the government called in the army to suppress protests, which started in universities and colleges earlier this month, quickly turning into a more widespread agitation against Hasina and her government, regarding job quotas.

The unrest has left several thousand people, including policemen, wounded and major government installations damaged.

Khan said the prime minister in the meeting revealed that Bangladesh also communicated with the United Nations about taking assistance in the inquiry.

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