In a major development, South Africa on Wednesday agreed to send back Maulana Mohammad Tajuddin, a key accused in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases, to Bangladesh.
The development took place at a meeting held between visiting South African delegation led by its Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Momaindya Mfeketo and Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, MP,
at his secretariat office yesterday noon. “South Africa has agreed to send back Maulana Tajuddin to Bangladesh and for this they want to sign an extradition treaty with us,” the Home Minister said adding, “We have exchanged information and other documents for the next course of measure to this end. During the meeting, Asaduzzaman Khan told the South African Deputy Minister that a terrorist is always a terrorist wherever he stays. Agreeing on this, Momaindya Mfeketo stressed on signing an extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque, MP, non-resident South African High Commissioner to Bangladesh Geoff Q Doidge and other concerned officials were present at the meeting.
Members of the visiting South African delegation also showed keen interest to visit fisheries hatchery in Khluna district, contributing a lot to the Blue economy. They hailed the present government for earning a lot by exporting food stuffs after meeting local demands.
The South African Deputy Minister informed Asaduzzaman that some 2.5 lakh Bangladeshi nationals are living in her country, of which 3-4 thousands are highly skilled, contributing to the South African economy.
Earlier on August 19 in 2014, the Interpol informed Bangladesh Police that Maulana Tajuddin was now staying in South Africa. The Interpol has also issued a red alert against Maulana Tajuddin as the most wanted criminal.
Another key accused in the cases, BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, now living in London, was also wanted by the International Police Organization. Besides, Maolana Tajuddin’s brother detained former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu is also an accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.
With Tazuuddin, a leader of the banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), a total of 19 charge-sheeted accused out of 52 in the cases went into hiding soon after investigation into the matter was initiated.
Of the fugitive accused, Tarique Rahman is now staying in London and Harris Chowdhury in Assam in India. Among others, Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad is living in Bangkok.
Owner of Hanif Enterprise Mohammad Hanif is in Kolkata, Maj Gen (retd) ATM Amin in the USA, Lt Col (retd) Saiful Islam Joardar in Canada, Babu alias Ratul Babu in India, Anisul Morsalin and his brother Mohibul Muttakin are in an Indian jail, police said.
Militant leaders Shafikur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai, Maulana Abu Bakar, Iqbal, Khalilur Rahman, Jahangir Alam alias Badar and Maulana Liton alias Zobair alias Delwar, the then deputy commissioner (east) and deputy commissioner (south) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Obaidur Rahman and Khan Syed Hasan are also staying abroad.
Former minister and Jamaat-e- Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, now facing trial for crimes against humanity, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Harkatul Jihad chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, charge-sheeted accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases and now in jails.
The gruesome grenade attacks were carried out on an anti-terrorism rally of Awami League (AL) on August 21 in 2004 during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. A total of 24 people including the then Mahila AL president and wife of late President Zillur Rahman were killed and over 500 others injured.
