The government on Saturday denied media reports that Canada has scrapped an asylum plea by Noor Chowdhury, a self-confessed killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and ordered his deportation.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq termed the reports as false while talking to journalists at his secretariat office in Dhaka yesterday.
“After reports in Bangladesh media, the Foreign Minister spoke to me from New York. The High Commissioner in Canada also confirmed that it is totally untrue,” the Law Minister said.
He said, “We have contacted Bangladesh High Commission in Canada to know about the authenticity of the report and our envoy has informed us that the report is not true. Our High Commission also contacted Bangladesh desk in the Canadian Foreign Ministry but could not find any authenticity of the report.”
“Our efforts are still on to bring him back Noor and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her recent visit to Canada has talked to her counterpart Justin Trudeau regarding this. The meeting was very fruitful and the Canadian government is now considering the ways to send Noor back to Bangladesh,” he said.
Talking about Canada’s stand against the death sentence, the minister said, “They have their constitutional obligations. They have told our Prime Minister that they are considering ways to avoid those obstacles.” The court awarded Noor Chowdhury death penalty for the massacre of the family of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. Noor is now a fugitive in Canada.
Recently a report appeared in the country’s media that Canada has canceled an asylum plea of Noor Chowdhury and ordered his deportation. The reporters asked the minister about Bangladesh’s next step in bringing back the killer and making him face justice.
Bangladesh has requested Canada several times to extradite Noor Chowdhury, but Ottawa turned down the request citing legal issues. Canadian legal system does not allow deportation of any foreign citizen who might face death penalty in the home country.
Five of the killers of Bangabandhu and most of his family were hanged on January 28, 2010, after exercising all the legal procedures. Another six death-row convicts Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Noor Chowdhury, Moslemuddin, Rashed Chowdhury and Abdul Mazed are now hiding abroad. Their cohorts Abdul Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe in 2001.
