"There must be a judicial inquiry and a parliamentary committee comprising lawmakers of all the parties should be formed to investigate the matter," Deputy Leader of the Opposition Abdul Hamid told newsmen at Kahalu after visiting the spot yesterday.

Hamid led an AL delegation that included party lawmaker Col. (retd) Faruk Khan, former chief of army staff General (retd) Mustafizur Rahman, Col (retd) Saqlaeen and local leaders of the party. They talked to villagers and also visited the Dupchachia Police Station.

Dismissing government accusation of his party's involvement in illegal possession of the ammunition and explosives, he said, "There is no scope for viewing the matter with a political motive as it poses a threat to security of the country."

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia said in parliament the main opposition party was involved in the ammunition deal.

Hamid said such an allegation without proper investigation makes the government motive to shift the blame on to the opposition itself manifest.

"It is a futile exercise to implicate poor villagers in the cases," Hamid said referring to socio-economic status of the accused persons. Villagers might have unknowingly found themselves involved in the crime. They might have considered the packets in the abandoned truck to be valuable and so they looted those packets, he added.

Asserting that influential persons were behind such a crime, the deputy opposition leader said the government should net these persons and not the poor villagers.

Asked about reports that the ammunition and explosives were possibly bound for a neighbouring country through Bangladesh, Hamid said, "In the interest of healthy relations with neighbouring countries, the government should immediately find out whether the reports are true or not. Otherwise, neighbours might think such ammunition smuggling is going on with the support of our government".

Faruk Khan said people know who control Bogra and who are behind such incidents. He however did not elaborate.