6 killers of Mujib still at large
Law minister hopeful about bringing them back
MUHAMMAD YEASIN, Dhaka
Although the government completed the trial proceedings in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case by overcoming many hurdles, it was unable to bring back six self-confessed convicted killers of the countrys founding father from abroad even after 45 years of the assassination.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brutally murdered, along with his wife and three sons, including 10-year-old Sheikh Russell, on August 15, 1975, while his two daughters, incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, survived the carnage as they were abroad.
Progress of the trial depended on the political dispensation in power. No one was allowed to file a case immediately after the assassination.
The government of Khandakar Mustaque Ahmed, which was installed after the bloody military coup, passed an ordinance in November 1975, indemnifying the perpetrators and closing the door on the possibility of a trial for 21 years, from 1975 to 1996.
The Awami League (AL) government revoked the indemnity ordinance in 1996 and cleared the way for trial. Sheikh Mujibs personal assistant Muhitul
Islam filed a case on October 2, 1996
with Dhanmondi Police Station against 24 persons.
On November 8, 1998, Dhaka Sessions Judge, Golam Rasul, awarded death sentences to 15 of the 20 accused.
Four of the convictsMajor (retd) Bazlul Huda, Lt Col (dismissed) Syed Faruk Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and Lt Col (retd) Mohiuddin Ahmedappealed before the High Court against the verdict.
On December 14, 2000, the High Court gave a split verdict in the case Justice Md Ruhul Amin upheld death sentences of 10 of the convicts, but Justice ABM Khairul Haque retained death sentences of all the 15.
On April 30, 2001 Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim of a third High Court bench upheld death sentences of 12 and acquitted three.
Of the 12 death convicts, four appealed against their sentence in the Appellate Division the same year.
Judges embarrassment in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court further delayed completion of the trial of the historic case.
The case was not heard for a single day during the BNPs five-year tenure (2001-2006) because of lack of judges in the Appellate Division.
A three-member bench was finally formed in the Supreme Court to hear the leave-to-appeal petitions after the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government took office.
The bench allowed the condemned convicts to file regular appeals against the High Court verdict.
In the meantime, another death convict, retired Lt Col (lancer), AKM Mohiuddin, made an appeal from jail after he was deported from the United States on June 18, 2008.
But hearing of their regular appeals was ensured only after the present Awami League-led alliance government appointed a few judges to the Supreme
Court and set up a five-member special bench to hear the appeals.
The hearing started on October 5, 2009. After 29 days of hearing, the apex court, on November 19, 2009, delivered the much-awaited final verdict that rejected the appeals of the killers and upheld the High Court verdict of death sentences for the 12.
Following the SC verdict, termed by many as the best historic judgment for the nation, the killers filed review petitions for commutation of their sentences.
After completion of all legal procedures, the AL-led government executed five self-confessed killers all former army officials in 2010 after 35 years of the killing. One absconding convict, Aziz Pasha, died in exile in Zimbabwe, while the remaining six self-confessed convicts are still at large.
The absconding killers are Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Noor Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury, Abdul Mazed and Moslehuddin Khan.
The government is in the dark about the precise whereabouts of most of these self-confessed killers.
It is certain that Rashed Chowdhury has been living in the USA with political asylum, while Noor Chowdhury is in Canada.
Sources say the government also had some information about two others - Moslem Uddin and Dalim who have been hiding in Germany and Spain, respectively.
But the government is completely in the dark about the whereabouts of the remaining two killers Khandaker Abdur Rashid and Abdul Mazed.
The government was negotiating with Washington to bring back Rashed Chowdhury, and official sources said they were hopeful that the Donald Trump administration would deport him to Bangladesh.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas visit to Canada, she iterated her request to deport Noor Chowdhury.
About the six fugitive convicts, law minister Anisul Huq said the government is trying to bring back all six convicted killers of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, from abroad through the legal process.
At a National Mourning Day programme on August 15 last year, Anisul Huq said that Rashed Chowdhury, a fugitive killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, would be brought back to the country from the US.
Two of the six fugitive killers of Bangabandhu are residing in the US and Canada. We would bring back the one living in the US. Legal steps are on to bring back the one in Canada as well, the law minister said.
Steps are on to trace the whereabouts of the four other fugitive killers, he said, adding, No matter where they are hiding, they would be extradited to the country and would be brought to justice.
At a separate programme last year, the law minister said the current US leaders are providing enough support to bring back self-confessed Bangabandhu killer Rashed Chowdhury to Bangladesh through legal means.
We have a very good relationship with the US. We are discussing with them to bring the killer back Anisul Huq said.
