Dhaka, March 3
Bangladesh army today launched a separate probe into the bloody mutiny in Bangladesh Rifles as new evidence has heightened suspicions of “outsiders” involvement in the massacre of army officers.

Announcing the new probe, army’s chief of general staff Lt Gen Sinha Ibne Jamali said army’s probe would be independent of the investigations launched by the government.

The army probe, which is a statuary requirement as large number of army officers were killed, would be headed by the Quartermaster General Lt Gen Mohammad Jahangir Alam Choudhury.

“Bangladesh army’s Quartermaster General Lt Gen Mohammad Jahangir Alam Choudhury has started the probe into the BDR mutiny in Pilkhana headquarters from today,” army said in a press briefing.

The government has reconstituted a high-powered probe into the mutiny by replacing home minister Sahara Khatun with a retired top bureaucrat and has co-opted three more members, including a senior army officer.

Briefing reporters, Lt Gen Jamali said the army’s seven-member probe would be strengthened if necessary and FBI and Scotland Yard, whose help had been sought by the government, would help its probe.

The developments came as security officials familiar with the investigation said seizure of various firearms and hardware indicated that people other than the BDR rebels could be involved in the massacre.

The Daily Star and several other newspapers said some members of the BDR Rifles Security Unit (RSU) were also involved in the carnage.

“Particularly the two binoculars, and machine-gun holding belts seized along with the grenades, firearms and ammunitions recovered from the scene, are not used by BDR or army,” a security official said, adding that “other parties” imported them inside the BDR headquarters to be used during the mutiny.

The army and fire service rescuers yesterday dug out huge ashes from a hole near the BDR Darbar Hall, the scene of the carnage, suspecting it to be another mass grave.

“But this huge quantity of ashes hidden into the hole confused us, investigators will probe if the culprits burned something important and later hid these in the hole,” an official said.

The police yesterday said they started gathering the evidence of the massacre during the two days of mutiny as a case was lodged against 1,000 rebel soldiers naming six of them as ringleaders of the massacre. — PTI

New York, March 3
US President Barack Obama is said to have offered a “deal” to Russia, suggesting America would not deploy a missile defence system in eastern Europe if Moscow stopped helping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Obama has offered the deal in a secret letter that was hand-delivered to Russia’s President Dmitri Medvedev in Moscow three weeks back, 'The New York Times' quoted unnamed senior American officials as saying.

In fact, the letter states, the US wouldn’t need to proceed with the interceptor system, which 
has been vehemently opposed by Russia since it’s proposed by Bush administration, if Iran halted any efforts to build nuke warheads as well as long-range ballistic missiles.

“It’s almost saying to them, put up or shut up. It’s not that the Russians get to say, ‘We’ll try and therefore you have to suspend.’ It says the threat has to go away,” said a senior Obama administration official.

And, among other things, the letter discussed talks to extend a strategic arms treaty, which is expiring this year and cooperation in opening supply routes to Afghanistan.

Though Moscow has not yet responded officially, a Russian official said Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov would have something to say on missile defence to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when they meet on Friday in Geneva.

Meanwhile, in an interview posted on the Kremlin website, the Russian President said: “We’ve already received such signals from our American colleagues.”

A couple of weeks back, US Defence Secretary Robert M Gates had said: “I told the Russians a year ago that if there were no Iranian missile programme, there would be no need for the missile sites.” — PTI

Washington, March 3
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ruled out any talks with Hamas till it renounces violence and recognises Israel. Talking to reporters in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, after participating in an Egypt-sponsored international aid meet on Gaza, Clinton said this was the stand of not only the US, but also the Quartet, which comprises the UN, Russia and the EU, besides the US. The Arab League also has a similar viewpoint.

“Hamas would have to adopt in order for any of us to engage with Hamas: recognise Israel, renounce violence, and agree to abide by the prior PLO agreements,” she said yesterday.

“That is not the United States talking. That is the Quartet and the Arab League. Everyone knows what Hamas must do, and it is up to Hamas,” she added.

Clinton also expressed concern over the continuation of rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel. “I have to confess I am troubled by the continuing rocket attacks coming out of Gaza, 15 to 18 rockets in the past several days,” Clinton said, according to the transcripts made available by the State Department. 

“We call upon all parties to move toward a durable ceasefire, but it is very difficult for any country to just sit and take rockets falling on its people. That is the crux of the Israeli problem. How are they supposed to respond when they continue to have that kind of attack?” she asked.

Earlier, participating in the conference Clinton pledged $ 900 million as US aid for humanitarian relief and early recovery assistance. The US assistance is integral to its broader goals of a comprehensive peace and a two-state solution, she said. 
— PTI

London, March 3
As the Indian government steps up efforts to halt the sale of Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles and sandals in New York, his great grandson has asked Britain to return to India the famous Koh-i-noor diamond, which was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850.

49-year-old Tushar Gandhi has been leading a campaign to halt the sale on Wednesday and Thursday of personal articles of Gandhi, including a pocket watch, bowl and plate, at the Antiquorum auction house.

He urged the Indian authorities to do more to return other treasures, including the 105 carat (21.6 g) Koh-i-noor, which was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850. “The Koh-i-noor diamond is something that rightfully belongs to India,” said Tushar, who heads the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation.

“If the jewels of Windsor were held by an Arab sheikh, then Britain wouldn’t really like that. I’d love to see it back in India. Returning it would be atonement for the colonial past,” he was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper yesterday.

The Koh-i-noor, which was once the largest known diamond in the world, belonged to various Mughal and Persian rulers who fought bitterly over it at various points in history and seized as a spoil of war time and again.

It was finally seized by the East India Company and became part of the British Crown Jewels when British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli proclaimed Queen Victoria Empress of India in 1877.

In a statement in India last week, Tushar said the Zenith pocket watch, eye glasses, chappals, plate and bowl of the Mahatma, if auctioned on March 4 and 5, would go into the hands of private collectors and would be lost to the people of India forever.

He condemned the auction as an insult to the Father of the Nation, whose personal articles are expected to fetch about $300,000.

The Indian government has expressed its determination to ensure the Mahatma’s personal belongings do not go under the hammer and bring them back to the country.

“Whatever can be done is being done to ensure that articles are not auctioned by involving all concerned stakeholders,” Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni had said in India on Friday.

According to the report in the UK daily, India is currently negotiating return of five sculptures in the British Museum and one sculpture of Nataraj (dancing Shiva) from London.

It is also taking steps for the return of five astronomical tools from Egypt, one sculpture of Jain Thirthankar from Washington, one sculpture of Varah (god with the body of a man and the head of a boar) from Switzerland, the report said. — PTI

New York, March 3
The US-based owner of Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia, up for auction here this week, has offered to “donate” the rare collection to India if it agrees to spend five per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on the poor.

James Otis owns five personal belongings of Gandhi - his metal-rimmed glasses, pocket watch, a pair of sandals, and a plate and bowl - which India is under intense pressure to acquire on the grounds they are part of its national heritage.

“If the (Indian) government decides to allocate five per cent of the GDP to or announces some major scheme for the poor, who are very near to the heart of Gandhi or announces some other scheme which would benefit them, I will even donate these items,” he said.

Otis told he has added two more items of Gandhiji to the five already being auctioned. These include his blood report from the then Irwin hospital in Delhi and a signed telegram he sent to students participating in a non- violent struggle at that time. In fact, his statement came in the wake of several Indian-American leaders, including hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, announcing their intention to bid for the rare collection and, if successful, hand it over to the Indian government.

However, it was not clear whether Otis would be able to get out of the contract with auctioneers who get commission on the sale proceeds, but he claimed that an arrangement could be worked out with them.

Neither the Antiquorum Auctioneers’ spokesperson was available for comment nor an email sent elicit any response.

The auctioneers had earlier valued Gandhi’s belongings at around $20,000 to 30,000 but the controversy could raise the price much higher. Some of the community leaders said they would not be surprised if the price goes around $80,000 to 1,00,000.

On another front, senior officials of the Indian Consulate in New York are holding negotiations with the auction house as part of an attempt to prevent it from putting the items on auction which triggered a public outcry in India.

But the auctioneers deny that they have been contacted so far. They maintain that the auction would go through and the government could bid either itself or through a representative.

Otis agreed that time for working an arrangement with the Indian government is short but said the things could be discussed over telephone and it should not be difficult to come to some understanding. He said he had sent an email to Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi on the subject.

But he is not in contact with any government official.

He had acquired the items, Otis said, from the Gandhi family as also from other sources, including dealers, because of his love for Gandhi and appreciation for his advocacy for non-violence. — PTI