Sagar Biswas :In the wake of widespread allegation, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs (MLWA) has formed a probe committee headed by a joint secretary of the ministry to investigate the incident of suicide of a freedom fighter reportedly insulted by the secretary of same Ministry.At the same time, the probe committee has been asked to collect detail information about the suicide and other evidences, including suicidal note, within next three days.”I’ve ordered to form the probe committee to find out the reason behind the suicide of the freedom fighter and submit their findings by three days,” Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque said on Thursday.Replying to another question, the Minister said, “The Ministry has no authority over forming any council committee.”According to the police, a freedom fighter identified as Ayub Khan, 62, former commander of Satkania unit of Chittagong, committed suicide in Hotel Karnafully at Topkhana Road in the capital on Tuesday, after allegedly being insulted by the Ministry’s secretary. Police also recovered a handwritten note beside the body of victim. “I’m committing suicide, after being insulted and pushed away holding my neck by Liberation War Affairs Ministry secretary M A Hannan,” quoting the suicidal note police said.Police suspected that the insulted freedom fighter Ayub Khan might have committed suicide by drinking insecticides. He was staying in Hotel Karnafuli of the city for last 15 days. The hotel authority contacted police on Tuesday morning as bad smell of pesticide was coming out of his room. Police rescued him breaking the door in an unconscious state and rushed him to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital [DMCH] where the doctors declared him dead at around 11: 30am.”There is similarity between the handwritings of suicidal note and other documents recovered from the hotel room. However, we will send these to handwriting experts of CID for better confirmation. Besides, we will also interrogate Liberation War Affairs Secretary M A Hannan and staff of Hotel Karnafuli,” Md Abu Bakar Siddique, Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station said. The OC said, “A cousin brother of victim Amir Hossain filed a UD case with the police station on Tuesday. We have sent his viscera to Mahakhali Laboratory for chemical test.” In the suicidal note, which was confiscated by police, Ayub Khan wrote, “I gave cash, fish and dry fish for two times to secretary MA Hannan for the announcement of South Chittagong unit of the Freedom Fighters Command Council.” “Hannan did nothing regarding the matter even after repeated requests. Not only that, when I went to his home after long six months to get my money back, Hannan insulted and pushed out me of his room. That’s why I’m committing suicide,” the suicidal note said. Ayub Khan repeated the issue of insulting for several times in the four-page suicidal note. Each and every page contains the signature of Ayub Khan as member secretary of South Chittagong Freedom Fighters Command Council and seal of the same organization. He also urged the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka and Director of DMCH to’ bury his body in Dhaka’. When contacted, Liberation War Affairs Secretary MA Hannan said, “I don’t know freedom fighter Ayun Khan. There is no connection with me about allegations of taking money and other things from him. On the other hand, Ayub Khan’s cousin Amir Hossain said, “He [Ayub] was very eager to establish the South Chittagong unit of the command council. He often talked about his frustrations regarding the Liberation War and the country’s situation.”
