The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The 3rd death anniversary of Awami League leader and former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, who was assassinated in a grisly grenade attack in his home district of Habiganj on January 27 in 2005, will be observed Sunday. Elaborate programmes have been scheduled for on Saturday and the next couple of days to observe the death anniversary. Family members, different socio-cultural and political organisations will place wreaths at the grave of the late AL leader at the Banani graveyard in the city from 8:00 am on Saturday.

Memorial Lecture by AMA Muhith, organized by the Bangladesh Foundation for Development Research, will be delivered at the Sufia Kamal Auditorium of National Museum at 4 pm on Monday, said a press release.

Shah AMS Kibria and four others were killed in a grenade attack carried out shortly after a rally at Boidderbazar in Habiganj on January 27, 2005.

Kibria's murder had sparked violent protests in the streets and the opposition alliance put the blame on the then government. Different foreign missions in Dhaka and the international community also protested against the killing of Kibria, who was also executive director of the ESCAP with the rank and status of the UN under-secretary-general.

Following the attack, Asma Kibria, wife of late Kibria, organized a series of peaceful protest programs (including 'Shantir Shopokkhe Nilima' - 81 weekly protests - and 'Rokter Akkhare Shopother Shakkhor' - a 3-km long signature banner) both in Bangladesh and overseas, demanding an end to culture of political killing and that the killers be brought to justice.

The Kibria family demanded an international investigation alleging the inability of local investigators to withstand political pressure. Various international agencies (including the International Parliamentary Union, the European Union and the United Nations) as well as public representatives from around the world called for a full investigation into the assassination.

In March, June and September 2005, a number of US Senators and Congressmen (including Senators Edward Kennedy, Barack Obama, Lincoln Chafee, John Sununu, John Kerry and Rep. Barney Frank) wrote letters to the US and Bangladesh governments urging that those behind the Kibria assassination be brought to justice.

The family of Kibria blamed the then BNP-Jamaat-i-Islami alliance government for creating obstacles to a complete, independent and credible investigation and failure to provide the conditions needed for full FBI participation in the investigation.

The present Caretaker Government (CG) appointed a new investigating officer and formed a committee to oversee the investigation, but no progress has been reported to date, family sources said. They said the CG refused to give permission for the peaceful protest programs organized by the family.