Sagar Biswas :
The taskforce committee, formed on 28 March, 2010 to bring back the six fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, could not attain any remarkable progress in this regard, though six years have already elapsed in the The committee, however, managed to locate the whereabouts of two killers, SHMB Noor Chowdhury and Abu Mohammad Rashed Chowdhury, first one is staying in Canada and the next one in the USA. But this information is nothing new, according to sources.
“We have initiated a discussion with the US Justice Department to bring back Rashed Chowdhury,” Anisul Huq, Law Minister and Chairman of taskforce committee, said.
The government is still in the dark about the existence of four other killers — Khandakar Abdur Rashid, Shariful Hoque Dalim, Abdul Mazed and Muslehuddin Khan –as no accurate information could be collected about their whereabouts.
Unconfirmed sources, quoting expatriates, said that Rishaldar Muslehuddin was seen in Germany though he was earlier reportedly located in India.
Official sources said that an accused Abdul Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe a few years ago. Besides, Abdul Mazed is now in Senegal, Khandakar Abdur Rashid in Libya [sometimes in Pakistan], Shariful Hoque Dalim in Libya [sometimes in Pakistan or Zimbabwe].
It is learnt that government is facing hurdles to bring back Noor Chowdhury from Canada due to its existing deportation law.
Pointing the issue, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told The New Nation on Monday: “There are some complexities. The countries those do not support death penalty also do not hand over the absconding criminals. It is not only applicable for Bangladesh, but also for other countries.”
“We’ve so far traced some killers. They are now staying in different countries. It is the first priority of Foreign Ministry to bring back the killers. The ministry has taken diplomatic effort with the countries where the killers are hiding”, said Shahriar Alam.
A source close to the Foreign Office told The New Nation that the countries concerned have been requested by the government not to give citizenship to the killers.
Echoing the same, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said: “Legal and diplomatic efforts have been taken to bring back six absconding killers. Especially, the government has taken legal steps with employing legal experts to bring back two absconders [Noor Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury] from Canada and USA.”
“The taskforce committee is working to bring back the killers. They are trying to contact with the countries where the killers are hiding. But the concerned countries are not responding to its appeal,” Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque said on Monday.
The IGP said: “Intelligence activities have been intensified to get accurate information about the killers. The INTERPOL has sought more information about them. The concerned department of police has been asked to keep close touch with INTERPOL to bring back the killers including Rishaldar Muslehuddin.”
The photographs along with detail information of the fugitive killers have been sent to important airports of the world through INTERPOL to track down the killers, according to officials.
In 1997, the INTERPOL issued arrest warrants against the six fugitive killers. As per procedure, the arrest warrants were renewed after 10 years in 2010.
