Bangabandhu’s killer Rashed Chowdhury to be brought back

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said Rashed Chowdhury, a fugitive killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, will be brought back to the country from the USA in order to execute the Supreme Court verdict on him.

“Two of the six fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are staying in the USA and Canada. The fugitive [Rashed Chowdhury] who is now in USA will be brought back to the country. Legal steps are on to bring the one in Canada back to the country as well. Initiatives are also on to trace whereabouts of the four other fugitive killers,” he said.

The minister said this while addressing a programme organised to mark the National Mourning Day on Akhaura Railway Station premises in Brahmanbaria yesterday morning.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on November 19, 2009 upheld a High Court verdict, confirming capital punishment of 12 people, including the six, for killing Bangabandhu and most of his family members in a coup d’état on August 15, 1975.

Five of the convicts -- Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Ahmed -- were executed on January 27, 2010. Another killer, Aziz Pasha, died in Zimbabwe in 2001.

Those who remain fugitives are: Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Noor Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury, Abdul Majed and Moslehuddin Khan.

The government had also made global appeals in bilateral, regional and international forums to track down the convicts. However, only two of the six could be traced -- Rashed Chowdhury in the US and Noor Chowdhury in Canada.

Yesterday, the law minister said, “No matter where they are hiding, they would be extradited to the country and would be brought to justice.”

“After the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family members in 1975, conspiracy was on to turn Bangladesh into a mini Pakistan,” he said, adding that the plot was almost implemented.

Anisul Huq also said the fate of the country began to change for the better after Awami League, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, was voted to power in 1996.

Replying to a question from journalists about observing the birthday of imprisoned BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, the law minister said “her birthday changes often”.

 Akhaura upazila unit of Awami League organised the programme to observe the 44th death anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.