The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Mr. Shah Ams Kibria, a member of the National Parliament of Bangladesh who was assassinated in January 2005, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/185/11(b)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 184th session (April 2009),

Taking into account the police progress report of March 2009 forwarded by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations Office at Geneva on 19 June 2009 and of information supplied regularly by the source,

Recalling that the initial inquiry in this case proved to be an attempt by the investigating officers to divert the course of justice by extracting testimony under torture and paying individuals to testify against the 10 persons initially accused of the grenade attack; that on 12 May 2009 Mr. Munshi Atiquer Rahman, who was for a time in charge of the initial investigation, surrendered in connection with charges of obstructing the course of justice and committing torture; recalling further that, since the reopening of the investigation in March 2007, Islamist militants belonging to the Horkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji), including its leader Mufti Hannan Munshi, have been detained as suspects,

Considering that, according to police report of 28 March 2009, Mufti Abdul Hannan collected 32 Arges grenades through an associate and kept them in his office; in February and April 2004, one of the leaders of Huji - Sylhet Division collected upon instruction by Mufti Abdul Hannan nine of those grenades with the help of two other accomplices; one of those grenades was given to Md. Badrul Alam Mizan, who subsequently exploded it, with the help of Mr. Mizanur Rahman Mithu, at the public meeting at which Mr. Kibria was killed; six persons have been arrested and efforts are under way to arrest two absconders; noting that, according to a newspaper report of 13 October 2009, the Sylhet Divisional Trial Tribunal, before which the case is pending, granted the Criminal Investigation Department one more month to submit its report on its further investigation into the killing of Mr. Kibria and set 15 November 2009 for hearing of the case,

Considering also that Mr. Kibria’s family has not been informed or notified of the proceedings and hearings that have taken place before the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal,

1. Thanks the authorities for the information they provided and for their cooperation;

2. Is pleased to note thatthe investigation is providing an ever fuller picture of the events leading up to Mr. Kibria's killing, but that it has not as yet enabled the investigators to identify either the origin of the grenades used in the attack or the instigators; is confident that the investigative report to be submitted to court in November will shed light on these matters and that, in any event, the investigation will not be closed unless these questions have been fully elucidated; would appreciate being kept informed of the proceedings;

3. Is concerned that Mr. Kibria's family has still not been informed of the proceedings before the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal and is thus being prevented from contributing to the pursuit of justice in this case; urges the authorities to rectify this situation;

4. Notes with satisfaction that one of the investigating officers suspected of diverting the course of justice in this case is now in the hands of the authorities and that they can therefore establish accountability for the serious abuses that took place in the initial investigation; wishes to be kept informed in this respect;

5. Would appreciate information as to whether the parliamentofBangladesh is following the proceedings in this case with a view to ensuring the due administration of justice;

6. Requests the Secretary General to convey this resolution to the parliamentary and judicial authorities, inviting them to supply the information sought;

7. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 122nd IPU Assembly (March-April 2010).

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