Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) in a rule on Wednesday wanted to know from the Civil Aviation Authority as to why the wife and other family members of former Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Ghulam Azam were given VIP status at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on April 8 when they were going abroad. The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman issued the suo moto rule, asking the Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority, Home Secretary and four other government officials to explain on what capacity the family members of Ghulam Azam, a convict on 1971 crimes, were given VIP status at the airport.
The respondents were given two weeks time to submit their explanations.
The court also asked the chairman of Civil Aviation Authority to submit the report by May 12 regarding the steps taken against the officials responsible for granting them VIP status.
The court issued the rule taking cognizance of a report published in a Bangla daily newspaper ‘Dainik Janakantha’ on April 9. Advocate Muntasir Uddin Ahmed, a Supreme Court lawyer, brought the report into the court’s notice, referring to a government order that bars the family members of a convict of 1971 crimes leaving the country.
According to the report, Ghulam Azam’s wife Afifa Azam, his daughter-in-law Tasnim Anjum and his nephew Lutful Kabir were scheduled to fly for Saudi Arabia.
According to Janakantha report, the Director of the Airport Group Captain Zakir Hasan allowed them VIP status, hiding their identities.
But, the immigration people refused to let them go when the intelligence officials confirmed their identities. The HC set May 12 for passing further order on this issue.
Ghulam Azam died last year when he was serving 90 years jail term for his involvement in the crimes against humanity during the War of Independence for Bangladesh in 1971.
