Bring absconding criminals home

Families of slain leaders urge govt

Family members of four national-level leaders killed inside the central jail have said that they would be happy if the absconding killers were brought back home to complete the trial of the jail killing case as soon as possible. 

The four leaders are: Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamruzzama.
Some of the relatives, however, said that they were not much satisfied with the trial, adding that they had worn out the soles of their shoes by moving from one door to another for completing the trial process.  
“The partial trial of jail killing case has been completed with the execution of some of the killers in the Bangabandhu murder case. Our expectations will be fulfilled if the government brings back the rest of the criminals home and complete the trial,” said AHM Khayruzzaman Liton, a son of AHM  Kamaruzzaman.
He said there were many legal intricacies in bringing back the killers, but the present government was sincere in its efforts. “Some of these killers are now living abroad and some of them cannot even be traced. But the government is working to bring them back to complete the trial,” he added.   

Liton said the four leaders were slain inside the central jail as they had posed a threat to the killers. “The killing of the four leaders, who liberated the country under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was like a thunderbolt after the killing of Bangabandhu. The killers, along with local and foreign conspirators, thought that their evil designs would not be fulfilled if they kept the four leaders alive,” he added.
He alleged those who came to power for a long time were the beneficiaries of the killings and thus did not hold a trial.    
Liton, who is also president of the Rajshahi city Awami League, said the trial of jail killing cases started when the AL government assumed power in 1996, but it could not completed as the BNP-led Four-party Alliance assumed power in 2001. 
He mentioned that the family members of the four leaders rejected the 2004 trial court judgment of the case as well as the High Court verdict in 2008. “We have expressed satisfaction when the Supreme Court published the full verdict of the case in 2015,” he said.  The AL leader recalled the memory of AHM Kamaruzzaman. He said his father had told him to stand on his feet. “My father was annoyed with me for my poor result in one subject in class exams. He asked me to perform better, saying that he could not keep a huge amount of money for us,” he added.
Simeen Hussain Rimi, MP, daughter of national leader and country’s first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed, said they were not much happy with the trial of jail killing case. She also said they became tired by repeatedly seeking the trial of the jail killing case. “The leaders are part of the country’s history,” she added.
The Supreme Court on December 2, 2015, published the full trial verdict that had confirmed the death sentences of the two accused in the 1975 Jail Killing case.
The Appellate Division, in its judgment, which was released two- and-a-half years after being delivered, had upheld the death sentences of Dafadar Marfat Ali Shah and Dafadar Abul Hashem Mridha, who were acquitted by the High Court, in the jail killing case. The bench that gave the verdict on Apr 30, 2013, was headed by then chief justice Md Muzammel Hossain.
A group of army officers had killed the four national leaders on 3 November, 1975, inside the Dhaka Central Jail.
A chargesheet was submitted on Oct 15, 1998, against 23 accused, 23 years after the case was filed. On Oct 20, 2004, Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge Md Motiur Rahman sentenced Risaldar Moslem Uddin (fugitive), Shah (fugitive) and Mridha (fugitive) to death. The court also sentenced 12 army officers to life imprisonment, including Syed Farook Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, who had been given the death sentence in the Bangabandhu killing case, and acquitted six others.
In 2008, the High Court had exonerated Shah and Mridha from the crime following an appeal, but upheld Moslem Uddin’s death penalty. Rahman, Rashid, Huda and Mohiuddin were also acquitted. But their death sentences in the Bangabandhu killing case were carried out in January 2010.
The High Court had upheld the sentences of eight military officers—Khandkar Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, MHM B Nur Choudhury, AM Rashed Choudhury, Ahmed Shariful Hossain, Abdul Majed, Kismat Hashem and Najmul Hossain Ansar. All of them are still absconding. Apart from Shariful Hossain, Kismat Hashem and Najmul Hossain, the others have been given the death sentence in the Bangabandhu killing case.

Bring absconding criminals home

Families of slain leaders urge govt

Family members of four national-level leaders killed inside the central jail have said that they would be happy if the absconding killers were brought back home to complete the trial of the jail killing case as soon as possible. The four leaders are: Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamruzzama. Some of the relatives, however, said that they were not much satisfied with the trial, adding that they had worn out the soles of their shoes by moving from one door to another for completing the trial process. The partial trial of jail killing case has been completed with the execution of some of the killers in the Bangabandhu murder case. Our expectations will be fulfilled if the government brings back the rest of the criminals home and complete the trial, said AHM Khayruzzaman Liton, a son of AHM Kamaruzzaman. He said there were many legal intricacies in bringing back the killers, but the present government was sincerein its efforts. Some of these killers are now living abroad and some of them cannot even be traced. But the government is working to bring them back to complete the trial, he added. Liton said the four leaders were slain inside the central jail as they had posed a threat to the killers. The killing of the four leaders, who liberated the country under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was like a thunderbolt after the killing of Bangabandhu. The killers, along with local and foreign conspirators, thought that their evil designs would not be fulfilled if they kept the four leaders alive, he added. He alleged those who came to power for a long time were the beneficiaries of the killings and thus did not hold a trial. Liton, who is also president of the Rajshahi city Awami League, said the trial of jail killing cases started when the AL government assumed power in 1996, but it could not completed as the BNP-led Four-party Alliance assumed power in 2001. He mentioned that the family members of the four leaders rejected the 2004 trial court judgment of the case as well as the High Court verdict in 2008. We have expressed satisfaction when the Supreme Court published the full verdict of the case in 2015, he said. The AL leader recalled the memory of AHM Kamaruzzaman. He said his father had told him to stand on his feet. My father was annoyed with me for my poor result in one subject in class exams. He asked me to perform better, saying that he could not keep a huge amount of money for us, he added. Simeen Hussain Rimi, MP, daughter of national leader and countrys first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed, said they were not much happy with the trial of jail killing case. She also said they became tired by repeatedly seeking the trial of the jail killing case. The leaders are part of the countrys history, she added. The Supreme Court on December 2, 2015, published the full trial verdict that had confirmed the death sentences of the two accused in the 1975 Jail Killing case. The Appellate Division, in its judgment, which was released two- and-a-half years after being delivered, had upheld the death sentences of Dafadar Marfat Ali Shah and Dafadar Abul Hashem Mridha, who were acquitted by the High Court, in the jail killing case. The bench that gave the verdict on Apr 30, 2013, was headed by then chief justice Md Muzammel Hossain. A group of army officers had killed the four national leaders on 3 November, 1975, inside the Dhaka Central Jail. A chargesheet was submitted on Oct 15, 1998, against 23 accused, 23 years after the case was filed. On Oct 20, 2004, Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge Md Motiur Rahman sentenced Risaldar Moslem Uddin (fugitive), Shah (fugitive) and Mridha (fugitive) to death. The court also sentenced 12 army officers to life imprisonment, including Syed Farook Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, who had been given the death sentence in the Bangabandhu killing case, and acquitted six others. In 2008, the High Court had exonerated Shah and Mridha from the crime following an appeal, but upheld Moslem Uddins death penalty. Rahman, Rashid, Huda and Mohiuddin were also acquitted. But their death sentences in the Bangabandhu killing case were carried out in January 2010. The High Court had upheld the sentences of eight military officersKhandkar Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, MHM B Nur Choudhury, AM Rashed Choudhury, Ahmed Shariful Hossain, Abdul Majed, Kismat Hashem and Najmul Hossain Ansar. All of them are still absconding. Apart from Shariful Hossain, Kismat Hashem and Najmul Hossain, the others have been given the death sentence in the Bangabandhu killing case.