It took the government three months to bring back Kamrul Islam, accused of beating Sylhet teenager Samiul Alam Rajan to death, from Saudi Arabia, but Dhaka is yet to fetch seven-murder accused Nur Hossain from India even a year and a half after the incident.
Islam had fled the country shortly after Rajan was clubbed to death for allegedly stealing a rickshaw at Sylhet’s Kumargaon on July 8. He was brought back on Thursday. Like Islam, 10 other criminals had been brought back in the last five years, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police Nazrul Islam told reporters at the airport. “We don’t have any extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia but we got him (Kamrul Islam) back after talks [with the Saudi authorities],” he added.
Expatriate Bangladeshis had caught Islam on July 12 and the embassy handed him over to local police. The home ministry initiated a process through the foreign ministry to bring him back. Three policemen went to Saudi Arabia on Monday and returned with Islam.
But there has been no visible progress in bringing back Nur Hossain, though the government has repeatedly claimed the process was on for the repatriation of the Narayanganj seven-murder accused.
Seven men, including former councilor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar, were abducted on Apr 27 last year. Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River several days later. Police pressed charges in court against 35 people, including three former RAB officials and Awami League leader Hossain.
Nazrul Islam’s father-in-law claimed Hossain had bribed RAB officers to carry out the murders.
An internal investigation by RAB revealed the involvement of then RAB-11 Commander former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and his colleagues.
Hossain, who fled to India after the incident, was arrested in Kolkata on June 15 last year. He was charged with trespass and a Kolkata court is hearing the case.
Legal experts had said at that time it would not take long to bring Hossain back, given the good relations between India and Bangladesh. The two countries have signed an extradition treaty but Delhi is yet to send back two accused of the Aug 21 grenade attack. According to the treaty, signed in 2013, a person convicted in the other country can be brought back to his own country to serve his prison term. Besides, it also allows the two neighbours to hand over wanted criminals.
Replying to questions, AIG Nazrul Islam said there were certain procedures to be complied with in such cases.
“We’re doing exactly that in this (Hossain’s) case,” he added.
Police chief AKM Shahidul Hoque had said India was not sending back Hossain as a case against him was pending in court. In August, he said Dhaka had provided Delhi, through diplomatic channels and the Interpol, all court documents needed for Hossain’s extradition. He hoped he would be brought back once the case was disposed of.
