Jail killing convict Kismat Hashem dies in Canada

Captain (relieved) Kismat Hashem, who was handed down life term imprisonment for the historic jail killing case, died in Canada today.

Kismat Hashem, 65, breathed his last at his residence in Montreal city around 6:00am (Bangladesh time) due to cardiac arrest, Showkat Hasem, younger brother of Kismat and BNP leader of Narayanganj city, told The Daily Star.

Kismat left the country after the brutal jail killing of four liberation movement heroes, of which he was an accused.

Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of Bangladesh government in exile, Tajuddin Ahmed, prime minister, M Mansur Ali, finance minister, and AHM Qamaruzzaman, minister of home affairs, relief and rehabilitation, were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.

The killing, seen as a desperate bid of power usurpers, came 79 days after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family on August 15, 1975, of which Kismat Hashem was acquitted.

Kismat will be buried in Montreal after Jummah prayers tomorrow. His demise came on the day when the whole nation is observing its 45th Independence Day.