Govt trying to bring back Tarique

Says Anisul Huq

The government is continuously trying to bring back to Bangladesh all convicted fugitive persons, including BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, who are staying abroad, so as to bring them to justice, said law minister Anisul Huq yesterday (Sunday). “The government is trying to bring back all fugitive convicted persons, including Tarique Rahman, to the country so as to put them on trial,” the minister said while talking to reporters after attending the inauguration of a training course for the newly appointed assistant judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka yesterday (Sunday) morning. “We have started the process of bringing back the fugitive convicts to the country in order to ensure justice. The government is determined to ensure justice for all,” the law minister said.

He also said the government was holding discussions in this respect with the governments of the countries where the fugitives were staying. In response to a query, the law minister said it depended on the Appellate Division on whether it would hear the pending appeals of war crimes convicts or not as the judiciary was now independent. “You all know that the judiciary is independent and the government does not interfere with any activities of the judiciary,” Huq asserted. However, the law minister said he would talk to the attorney-general’s office so that it would take the initiative to hold hearing on the appeals filed in relation to the war crimes cases.

The law minister declined to comment on Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain’s remark that taking Jamaat-e-Islami in the alliance to contest the parliamentary elections was a mistake.

The law minister also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had shown her broad-mindedness by urging the BNP lawmakers to come to the Jatiya Sangsad even though her party had won a landslide victory in the election. Earlier, while inaugurating the training course for  assistant judges, Huq called upon the judges to discharge their duties with sincerity and honesty in order to ensure justice for the people.

Law secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque also spoke at the programme, which was presided over by Justice Khondker Musa Khaled, director-general of the Judicial Administration Training Institute.

Earlier, on December 23, addressing an election campaign meeting at Sylhet, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to bring back the BNP’s acting chief Tarique Rahman home to be exposed to justice in the execution of the court verdicts handed down to him. “If the Almighty gives us days, we will bring him (Tarique) back to the country and execute the verdicts,” she said.

Earlier this year, a special court sentenced Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment for masterminding the 21 August, 2004 grenade attack, which killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. Again, the High Court sentenced him to a 10-year prison term in a graft case involving a charity named after his father.

Tarique Rahman has been living in London for the past nine years.

Govt trying to bring back Tarique

Says Anisul Huq

The government is continuously trying to bring back to Bangladesh all convicted fugitive persons, including BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, who are staying abroad, so as to bring them to justice, said law minister Anisul Huq yesterday (Sunday). The government is trying to bring back all fugitive convicted persons, including Tarique Rahman, to the country so as to put them on trial, the minister said while talking to reporters after attending the inauguration of a training course for the newly appointed assistant judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka yesterday (Sunday) morning. We have started the process of bringing back the fugitive convicts to the country in order to ensure justice. The government is determined to ensure justice for all, the law minister said. He also said the government was holding discussions in this respect with the governments of the countries where the fugitives were staying. In response to a query, the law minister said it depended on the Appellate Division on whether it would hear the pending appeals of war crimes convicts or not as the judiciary was now independent. You all know that the judiciary is independent and the government does not interfere with any activities of the judiciary, Huq asserted. However, the law minister said he would talk to the attorney-generals office so that it would take the initiative to hold hearing on the appeals filed in relation to the war crimes cases. The law minister declined to comment on Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossains remark that taking Jamaat-e-Islami in the alliance to contest the parliamentary elections was a mistake. The law minister also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had shown her broad-mindedness by urging the BNP lawmakers to come to the Jatiya Sangsad even though her party had won a landslide victory in the election. Earlier, while inaugurating the training course for assistant judges, Huq called upon the judges to discharge their duties with sincerity and honesty in order to ensure justice for the people. Law secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque also spoke at the programme, which was presided over by Justice Khondker Musa Khaled, director-general of the Judicial Administration Training Institute. Earlier, on December 23, addressing an election campaign meeting at Sylhet, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to bring back the BNPs acting chief Tarique Rahman home to be exposed to justice in the execution of the court verdicts handed down to him. If the Almighty gives us days, we will bring him (Tarique) back to the country and execute the verdicts, she said. Earlier this year, a special court sentenced Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment for masterminding the 21 August, 2004 grenade attack, which killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. Again, the High Court sentenced him to a 10-year prison term in a graft case involving a charity named after his father. Tarique Rahman has been living in London for the past nine years.