Will write to UK to deport Mueen, Ashrafuzzaman

The government will write a letter to the UK government requesting it to deport the two fugitive killers of intellectuals, Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, to Bangladesh.

"I requested a British high commissioner in Bangladesh to take steps to end the two fugitives, who were sentenced to death for their offences, including the killing of intellectuals during the Liberation War, back to the country," Law Minister Anisul Huq said while talking to reporters at his secretariat office ahead of the intellectuals killing day to be observed today.

The minister said the British high commissioner suggested him to formally place the request to the UK government in this regard.

He said the law ministry has already drafted a letter to this effect. After receiving opinion from the home ministry, the letter will be finalised and then it will be sent to the UK government."Besides, we will continue bilateral talks with the UK government to bring the convicted killers back to the country," he said.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on November 3, 2013 handed down death penalty to Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan.

They were sentenced to death for abduction and killing of nine Dhaka University teachers, six eminent journalists and three physicians in December 1971 with the intent that the new nation becomes devoid of intellectuals.

Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan were among the most wanted criminals after the Liberation War in 1971 for killing intellectuals as part of Al-Badr's plan to eliminate intellectuals from the soon-to-be independent Bangladesh.