The American writer and journalist, Lawrence Lifschultz's call for setting up of an independent commission to investigate disappearances of the members of the Bangladesh Army is a long overdue one ( Probe disappearances , unresolved killings ). Unfortunately, this demand for justice from the families of victims of crude power struggles of some over-ambitious army commanders has never been highlighted by the local press. It required a foreign journalist's plea to a sympathetic government and favorable political environment to be printed in the local press (allegedly governments under both BNP and General Ershad had denied his visa requests). Mr Lifschultz was a key witness in the case heard by a High Court bench, also under the current government, that ruled Col Taher's execution by a military court as an unlawful killing. ( Trial of Taher illegal ) Reports appearing in Bangladesh press quoting Mr Lifschultz indicate that his call was for only to probe into the...