Killers unpunished

Although it has been more than a year since the trial of the historic jail killing case concluded, none of the convicted killers has been punished leaving the nation in frustration and dissatisfaction.

The Supreme Court on April 30 last year upheld the death penalty of three former army personnel and life term imprisonment of eight others for killing the four national leaders.

All the convicts, however, are hiding in the USA, Canada, Pakistan, Libya and some Middle Eastern countries. There is no positive message from the government about bringing them back to the country.

The killers could not be caught and brought back home since they are always on the move, according to some high officials.

The USA and Canada have refused to extradite the killers saying their policy does not support handover of a convict to a country where death sentence is executed.

Amid such a situation, the nation observes today the 39th anniversary of the Jail Killing Day to mourn the four liberation movement heroes -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, AHM Quamruzzaman and Captain M Mansur Ali.

 The four leaders were brutally killed inside a jail on this day in 1975.

 They had been sent to jail soon after the August 15, 1975 bloodbath that claimed the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.

The four leaders had led the country's Liberation War while Bangabandhu was detained by the Pakistan army.

While talking to The Daily Star on October 31, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who is a member of the taskforce formed to bring the fugitive killers back, said the government had taken necessary steps through diplomatic channels to bring the killers back.

More specific steps would be taken to that end, he added.

Law Secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque Dulal told The Daily Star that the Interpol had issued arrest warrants against the killers of Bangabandhu and the four national leaders as they were changing location.

 The government had sent letters to every country seeking their help in tracing and sending the fugitive convicts back home, he said, adding that Maj (retd) Noor Chowdhury, one of the convicted killers, was in Canada and another convict Maj (retd) Rashed Chowdhury was in the USA.

The government would continue its efforts to bring them back to the country, he added.  

Law Minister Anisul Huq, who heads the taskforce, yesterday said the government was trying to bring the convicts back but he refused to make further comments.

The three convicts who were awarded death penalty are Risalder (retd) Muslemuddin, Dafadar (dismissed) Marfat Ali Shah and Dafadar (dismissed) Abdul Hashem Mridha.

The eight convicts, who were handed down life term imprisonment, are Lt Col (dismissed) Khondaker Abdur Rashid, Lt Col (relieved) Shariful Haq Dalim, Lt Col (retd) SHMB Noor Chowdhury, Lt Col (retd) AM Rashed Chowdhury, Maj (relieved) Ahmed Shariful Hossain, Capt (retd) Abdul Majed, Capt (relieved) Kismat Hasem and Capt (relieved) Nazmul Hossain.

The apex court affirmed the judgement of a Dhaka court, which in 2004 convicted and sentenced Muslemuddin, Marfat Ali Shah and Abdul Hashem Mridha to death and handed down life term imprisonment to 12 others.

Of the 12, four -- Lt Col (dismissed) Syed Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda and Maj (retd) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed -- were already executed in the Bangabandhu assassination case.

In August 2008, the High Court upheld the capital punishment of Muslemuddin and acquitted Marfat and Hashem. The HC also acquitted Farooq, Shahriar, Mohiuddin and Bazlul Huda.