Opposition proposes special cell to bring Benazir, other fugitives back

Opposition Deputy Leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has proposed forming a special cell to bring former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and other Awami League leaders and activists who fled abroad back to Bangladesh to face trial.

He made the proposal during a general discussion in parliament on a motion seeking information on the government's efforts to repatriate Benazir today (8 September).

The motion was moved by Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem and was discussed by 10 lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches for more than one and a half hours. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad later put the motion to a voice vote, and it was passed.

The motion calls on the home minister to inform parliament as soon as possible how Benazir, who faces serious criminal allegations, secured bail in Dubai and what steps the government is taking to bring him back to Bangladesh.

Taher said the home minister had previously assured parliament that steps were being taken to bring Benazir back, but no tangible result had emerged.

He called for a dedicated cell to handle the repatriation of Benazir and other fugitives abroad.

"This cell can work to resolve the issue of Benazir and other fugitives linked to the fascist regime," he said.
Taher also alleged that Awami League activists were becoming active again inside Bangladesh.

He claimed that people identified with the former ruling party were holding meetings and processions even at union level and alleged that police sometimes took no action despite receiving information about them.

The opposition deputy leader also sought details on whether a lawyer had been appointed for Benazir after his arrest and when a lobbying firm was engaged in the case.

He proposed that properties belonging to Benazir and other alleged offenders inside Bangladesh be sold through due legal process and the proceeds distributed among families of victims.

Opposition MPs question govt's efforts

Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem questioned whether the government had made a genuine effort to bring Benazir back.

He said a stronger commitment could have been demonstrated if the home and foreign ministers had travelled to Dubai immediately after the arrest, or if the prime minister had personally contacted the UAE government or sent a representative.

NCP lawmaker Akhter Hossen said they had initially been hopeful after hearing that Benazir had been arrested and that the government would seek his repatriation.

"But later, the situation left us disappointed," he said, asking what steps the government was taking to bring back Sheikh Hasina and other senior Awami League figures accused of crimes and currently living abroad.

Referring to earlier praise for the home minister over Benazir's arrest, Akhter asked, "We thanked the home minister in this parliament, but has that gratitude now disappeared?"

BNP lawmakers ABM Mosharraf Hossain and Shahidul Islam Babul, along with Jamaat lawmakers Rokeya Begum, Marzia Begum and Tasmia Prodhan, also took part in the discussion.

The parliamentary motion requires the home minister to provide parliament with details of the government's measures to bring Benazir back to Bangladesh.