S Africa to send back Tajuddin
Says home minister
South Africa yesterday agreed to send back Maulana Mohammad Tajuddin, a key accused in the August 21, 2004, grenade attack cases, to Bangladesh.
The decision came in a meeting between visiting South African delegation, led by Nomaindiya Mfeketo, deputy minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the country, and Bangladesh's Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at the latter's secretariat office.
"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 told the South African deputy minister that a terrorist was always a terrorist wherever he stayed. Agreeing on this, Mfeketo stressed on signing an extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
The South African deputy minister informed Asaduzzaman that some 2.5 lakh Bangladeshis are living in her country.
On August 19, 2014, the Interpol informed Bangladesh Police that Maulana Tajuddin was staying in South Africa. The Interpol has also issued a red alert against Tajuddin as a 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 Organisation. Besides, Tajuddin's brother, detained former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, is also an accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.