Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday vowed to bring back the self-confessed fugitive killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to execute the court verdict and sought support from people of the country living at home and abroad.
“A killer is a killer, no matter the lapse of time. We want Bangabandhu’s killers to be deported to Bangladesh,” he told reporters, adding that things would have been different if voices were raised from the very beginning.
Dr Momen pointed out the military governments led by Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad; and BNP-Jamaat government headed by Khaleda Zia which patronized the killers and helped the killers get established.
“Anyway, past is past. We’re trying to bring them back,” he said after attending a programme at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marking the National Mourning Day.
The five fugitive killers of Bangabandhu are Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Nur Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan.
The Interpol issued a red notice regarding Noor Chowdhury on August 31, 2009, which was extended for five years on March 25, 2019.
A red notice was issued about Rashed Chowdhury on January 7, 2009, which was extended on July 26, 2018 for five years.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh has so far confirmed the current location of two killers.
They are sacked lieutenant colonel SHMB Noor Chowdhury and sacked lieutenant colonel Rashed Chowdhury who are taking shelter in Canada and the United States respectively, he said.
The Foreign Minister said they do not know about three other killers but it is understood that they are moving from one country to another.
He urged the Bangladeshis living in these two countries to stage demonstration in front of the killers’ residences once in a month to mount community pressures on the authorities there for their deportation.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh Missions abroad have also been asked to work hard to that end saying Bangladesh will follow the path law for the killers deportation.
He said if any Bangladeshi can give accurate information about the killers, the information provider will be rewarded. “Share information with us. You will be rewarded if your information is correct.”
On November 19, 2009, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the High Court verdict, confirming capital punishment of 12 killers of Bangabandhu and his family members.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr Momen placed floral wreath at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Corner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also joined wth the Foreign Minister to pay tribute to Bangabandhu, Bangamata Fazilatun Nessa Mujib and other martyrs of the 15th of August.
Source: United News of Bangladesh