Staff Reporter :
Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said, the government is trying to bring back BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman to Bangladesh from London.
Tarique Rahman left the country nine years ago and now lives in London under political asylum.
Tarique was sentenced to life in prison in 21 August grenade attack case.
He also faces punishment as he received in three separate cases, including the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.
“The government is trying to bring back all fugitive convicts including Tarique Rahman to the country for putting them on trial,” Anisul Huq said.
The minister said this while talking to reporters after attending the inauguration of a training course for the newly appointed assistant judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka on Sunday.
Law Secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque also spoke at the programme, presided over by Justice Khondker Musa Khaled, Director General of Judicial Administration Training Institute.
“The government is holding discussion in this regard with the governments of the countries where the fugitives are staying,” he said.
Replying to a query, the minister said the attorney general may take initiative for the Appellate Division to hold hearing on the appeals filed by the war crime convicts.
However, he refused to make any comment about Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain’s comment where he said that taking Jamaat-e-Islami in the alliance in contesting the parliamentary election was a mistake.
The law minister also said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown her broad mentality by urging the BNP lawmakers to come to the Jatiya Sangsad although her party has got a landslide victory in the election.
It may be mentioned that Tarique Rahman was convicted in several cases (in absentia) including that of the sensational August 21 grenade attack, he does not have any valid Bangladeshi travel document.
He had handed over his passport to the UK Home Office almost four years ago.
The UK Home Office sent his passport to the Bangladesh High Commission. He has to apply for a new passport to return home.
Besides, the Supreme Court in an order also barred media outlets and others from publishing any statement of Tarique Rahman.
