Bangabandhu Murder
FM seeks foreign support for extraditing killers
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni yesterday said her office sent formal letters to certain foreign countries seeking their cooperation for extradition of remaining Bangabandhu killers as they were located or believed to be hiding there.
“We have sent formal letters to the countries where the fugitives are now found to be living or are suspected to be hiding in,” said Moni at a children's function marking Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's 35th anniversary of martyrdom.
The day is being observed months after the execution of five of the 11 convicted putsch leaders. They were earlier protected under a notorious indemnity law enacted by the post 1975 regime which had also rewarded the killers with diplomatic assignments abroad.
During the past 34 years the country observed the day amid demands for exposure of the August 15, 1975 killers to justice. The National Mourning Day is being observed this year as five of the 12 convicted killers were hanged in due legal process in January this year.
They were ex-lieutenant colonels Syed Faruque Rahman, Shahriar Rashid Khan, AKM Mohiuddin (lancer), Mohiuddin Ahmed (artillery) and ex-major Bazlul Huda.
But six other convicts were hiding abroad while the government leaders said diplomatic and police initiatives were underway to bring them back as most of them were traced down through Interpol and diplomatic channels.
“Steps have been taken to bring back the remaining convicts of Bangabandhu killing,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself said in a mourning day statement yesterday.
She earlier promised to bring back the rest six convicted killers saying “We will keep the rest of the convicted killers on the run. Where will they hide?”
“The world is big and also too small, they have nowhere to hide,” she said in her first public address after the execution of five of the convicted putsch leaders in January.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, however, told newsmen at the Banani graveyard yesterday that the absconding killers could be extradited through court clearance.
A senior police official at Police Headquarters last week said ex- lieutenant colonels Khandaker Abdur Rashid was hiding in Libya but often travels to Pakistan and SHBM Noor Chowdhury was in Canada but sometimes travels to Britain.
“Of the others (ex-lieutenant colonels) Shariful Haque Dalim is staying in Kenya, Rashed Chowdhury is in the United States and ex-captain Abdul Majed and army Risaldar Moslehuddin were staying in India,” the official said preferring anonymity.
One of the 12 convicts, ex-lieutenant colonel Aziz pasha died a normal death in Zimbabwe several years ago, according to the foreign ministry.
Bangladesh earlier sought New Delhi's assistance to bring back the convicted ex-army officers believed to be hiding in India and other countries.
“We have sought Indian assistance to track down and arrest the remaining killers . . . We asked India to return them if they are really staying there,” Home Minister Sahara Khatun said.
Thailand had returned Huda in 1998 after Dhaka and Bangkok signed an extradition treaty while the United States returned Mohiuddin Ahmed (lancer) during the past military-backed caretaker government in 2007. He had failed to obtain a federal court order there to stay back.
Officials earlier said Noor Chowdhury, the man who directly had shot Bangabandhu dead and Rashed Chowdhury were trying to take legal cover in Canada and the United States to evade the justice.
The process of exposure of the coup leaders to justice began as Awami League returned to power under Hasina's leadership in 1996 general elections. The indemnity law was scrapped but it needed a long 14 years to accomplish the justice process starting from an ordinary trial court to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
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