If the present ruling coterie is really sincere and wants to do justice to democracy and the establishment of the rule of law, its leaders must look into the failures of the law enforcing agencies. How did the culprits go scot-free in the presence of such a huge number of law enforcers? The government should allow an independent probe into the matter sponsored by the UN or Commonwealth Secretariat or an EU-backed commission or body. Secondly, if they (governing coalition) believe in natural justice, they must facilitate execution of the verdict on Bangabandhu murder case.

Soliciting the help of Interpol is a good idea if the neutrality and comprehensiveness of the investigation process can be ensured. (DS 27/8/04). Interpol can assist through providing information about the international networks of terrorism. But what about the national scene? Should not the assistance of Scotland Yard or some other bodies be sought as well?

A full scale assault on tolerance has begun in Bangladesh, pushing it towards anarchy, fratricide, and political suicide. Democracy, human rights, civilised values, and sane civil society are the casualties. While the country mourns the loss of its leaders like Ivy Rahman, the general public sit at home in fear for their lives and property. While criminals take advantage of the systemic breakdown in our society to grab land, extremists try to uproot minorities, and religious fanatics try to dictate to us the definition of a Muslim in order to deny the fundamental right of Kadianis to pray in their own mosques. And all of this is happening when the country is still reeling under the impact of devastating floods that have displaced millions from their homes.

However, the bottom line is, there should be zero tolerance of violence, and bomb attacks, irrespective of the garbs they come in. Interpol and Scotland Yard could perhaps help find the culprits. But the bigger challenge is to build a political climate of trust, tolerance and mutual respect, to treat the opposition in a manner that one would wish to be treated.

Dr Tazeen Murshid, ULB, Brussels

I am a little puzzled with the editorial titled "Interpol at last" published on August 28, 2004. It's a good thing to seek outside help to identify and punish criminals with a high degree of skill and with alleged ties to international terrorist organisations. Nonetheless, I could not work out how Interpol can effectively help Bangladesh in solving the bombing cases if the government of the country does not want to cooperate with them. How does Interpol work with its member countries? You can find the details at http://www.interpol.int.Here is the summary-

"Every member country has an Interpol contact point called a National Central Bureau (NCB), which is staffed by its own police. This bureau is the single point of contact for foreign governments requiring assistance with overseas investigations and appropriate contact information when confronted with different police structures in other countries.

The NCB is the operational element of Interpol. Contrary to popular belief, Interpol officers do not travel around the world investigating cases in different countries. Each member country employs its own officers to operate on its own territory and in accordance with its own national laws.

Now one can clearly see who are the people in the NCB. Those are the same set of people who stood silent when the attackers carried out the grenade attack on the AL rally.

Prodip Saha, Dallas, TX, US