Coup probe focuses on BBC employee

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it has contacted the BBC over the government's investigation into the alleged involvement of Syed Mahmoud Ali, now the chief of the BBC's Bangla service in the bloody overthrow of Bangla-desh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.

Ali, a former Pakistan Army officer, in a recent interview admitted that despite being a Bengali he had fought as a member of the Pakistan Army against the country's liberation in 1971.

He also confessed to being present at Dhaka Radio Station on the fateful night of August 15, 1975, the day Bangabandhu was brutally assassinated as was his entire family barring two daughters who lived abroad, one of whom is now the prime minister.

He also said that in accordance with the directives of Khondaker Mushtaque Ahmed, a cabinet member of the Mujib government, who took over as president after the assassination of Mujib, he arrested Tajuddin Ahmed, the country's first prime minister who headed the Bangladesh government in exile in 1971.

Tajuddin was killed in Dhaka Central Jail along with three national leaders on November 3, 1975.

Four national leaders were jailed by the military authorities after the killing of president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But the four leaders were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail two-and-a-half months after the killing of Mujib on the eve of a short-lived military coup.

The Ministry of Information also urged the Foreign Ministry to pursue the matter with BBC and warned of terminating an agreement under which Bangladesh Radio broadcasts 11-and-a-half hours of BBC programmes daily.

Ali, who was a major, resigned from the army in early 80s and joined journalism. Working in different publications Ali joined the BBC Bangla service in London.