Moshtaque was key plotter

Ashutosh Sarkar

Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed was the most-heinous betrayer, hypocrite and deceiver in the history of the world as he conspired to kill the father of the nation under whose shelter he was doing politics, the attorney general (AG) told the Supreme Court yesterday.

Moshtaque was the biggest beneficiary of the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman since he became the president of Bangladesh after the incidents of August 15, 1975, said AG Mahbubey Alam.

And the assassination of Bangabandhu foiled all achievements of the Liberation War of 1971 since the government of Moshtaque destroyed the spirit of democracy, secularism and non-communalism, he said.

The AG was making his submissions before the five-member SC bench headed by Justice Tafazzul Islam on the 25th day of hearing of appeals by five of the 12 convicts in Bangabandhu murder case.

The killers' target was to kill only Bangabandhu, his family members and relatives, and not to stage any revolt or mutiny. If their target was mutiny, they would have also attacked the residences of the then vice president and prime minister the same day, Mahbubey Alam argued.

The top law officer of the state prayed to the apex court to uphold the High Court judgment affirming the convictions and death sentences of the convicts in this case.

The killers have tried all the ways to foil the holding of trial of this case in the last 34 years since the killings, he said.

He mentioned that Fazle Noor Taposh, whose parents were among those killed by the convicts, is a state counsel in this case. He has also prayed for justice.

At one stage of his submission, the AG burst into tears, and said he could not control himself when he read the paper book describing the incidents of August 15, 1975.

The court asked him to place legal points, and not to become emotional.

The AG questioned if it was necessary to allow the five convicts to file appeals challenging the HC verdict.

The court pointed out that the full bench of Appellate Division of the SC had granted the leave to appeal petitions.

Mahbubey Alam placed three references from the Indian Supreme Court, and said the HC has not committed any error or illegality in its judgment.

The hearing resumes this morning.