Whereabouts of two of Bangabandhu’s killers confirmed

Highlights

• Rashed Chowdhury is living in the US
• Nur Chowdhury is living in Canada
• Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim and Risaldar Moslem Uddin Khan have been travelling to various countries in Asia, Europe and Africa
• The Canadian government has refused to extradite Nur Chowdhury because of the death penalty
• The US is avoiding the issue of returning Rashed Chowdhury, may have given him political asylum
• After 15 years, Rashed Chowdhury's political asylum case is facing a challenge in a US court
• Rashed Chowdhury will be expelled from the US if he gained political asylum with false information and the US could send him back to Bangladesh
• Earlier, the US had handed over another convicted murderer of Bangabandhu, Mohiuddin Ahmed

Although the whereabouts of two of the five fugitive killers of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is known, the government has no definite information about the whereabouts of the other three.

Among the fugitive killers, AM Rashed Chowdhury is living in the United States and SHMB Nur Chowdhury in Canada. The government has been talking about diplomatic efforts to bring them back for several years but so far there has been no visible progress in this regard.

Law Minister Anisul Haque said efforts were ongoing to bring back the fugitive killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In a video message to the media on Thursday, he said, "Efforts will continue until the five fugitives are brought back to the country and their executions are carried out. This effort will come to an end only after they have been returned."

Meanwhile, the other three fugitives, Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim and Risaldar Moslem Uddin Khan, have been travelling to various countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, a reliable source at the police headquarters confirmed to The Business Standard.

"We have definite information about the whereabouts of Rashed Chowdhury and Nur Chowdhury among the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu," Mohiul Islam, assistant inspector general of the National Central Bureau (NCB) at the police headquarters, told The Business Standard on Friday afternoon.

However, there is no definite information about the others. We have sent letters to the countries concerned, where they are travelling, and seeking information about them, he added.

According to police headquarters sources, a red alert has been issued by Interpol regarding the fugitives among Bangabandhu's killers. This notice has been renewed every five years since its issuance in 2009.

The government is working with the United States and Canada to bring back Rashed Chowdhury and Nur Chowdhury. Among others, Mosleh Uddin is reported to be in India or Pakistan. No response was received in this regard even after letters were sent to Pakistan at different times.

India says Mosleh Uddin is not in the country. Rashid could be in one of the following countries: France, Italy, Libya, Poland, Thailand, or England. And, Dalim could be found in: China, England, Hong Kong, Kenya, Libya, or Thailand. Although a letter was sent to the countries concerned asking for cooperation in this regard, no response has been received.

According to the relevant sources, the Canadian government has refused to extradite him, citing the death penalty because the death penalty is outlawed in Canada.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has at various times called on the United States to send back Rashed Chowdhury. However, the country is avoiding the issue of returning Rashed Chowdhury. It may have given him political asylum. However, diplomatic efforts are underway to return these two.

After a meeting with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year, foreign minister Abdul Momen told reporters, "I have called on him [the US ambassador] to send Rashed Chowdhury back."

Following the path of the United States to establish the rule of law, Bangladesh wants to bring back the confessed fugitive murderer of Bangabandhu, Rashed Chowdhury, who was convicted in an independent court of law, the foreign minister added.

Earlier, the United States handed over another convicted murderer of Bangabandhu, Mohiuddin Ahmed, to Bangladesh, the foreign minister mentioned.

As a result of the government's diplomatic efforts, his case for political asylum in the United States was revived this year. The Trump administration responded as a result of the government's diplomatic efforts. So, after 15 years, Rashed Chowdhury's political asylum case is facing a challenge.

On June 17, US attorney general Bill Barr filed a political asylum application. He set a deadline of July 17 for all parties to the petition to submit their responses, but as the matter was sensitive, July 31 was set as the new date.

The murderer Rashed Chowdhury will be expelled from the United States if he gained political asylum with false information. In that case, the United States could send him back to Bangladesh.

On November 8, 1998, the then Dhaka Sessions Judge Kazi Golam Rasul sentenced 15 people to death. The High Court on December 14, 2000, after hearing the appeals of the accused against the judgment of the lower court and confirming the death sentence, gave a split verdict. On April 30, 2001, the third bench of the High Court upheld the death sentence of 12 convicts and acquitted three others.

On November 19, 2009, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals of five convicts who had been sentenced to death. As a result, the death sentence of 12 murderers given by the High Court for the brutal murder of Bangabandhu and his family members remains in force.

On the night of January 27, 2010, Syed Faruk Rahman, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and Muhiuddin Ahmed were executed. Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe in June 2001 – before the verdict could take effect.

Abdul Majed, one of the six fugitives during the trial, was arrested earlier this year and executed by the government on April 12.

On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu and his family were brutally murdered. Bangabandhu's two daughters Sheikh Hasina, the current Prime Minister, and Sheikh Rehana survived – as they were abroad at the time.