Forty-five years on: Bangabandhu's five killers still at large
The government is exploring "all of the avenues" to recreate five fugitive convicted killers of Father of the country Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to execute the court verdict as the country is set to see National Mourning Day on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen reiterated that the government is working to recreate the convicted killers of Bangabandhu, at least yet another in this Mujib Barsho, to implement the court verdict.
"It's our hope," he said adding that among the killers -- former captain Abdul Majed --was executed recently.
The fugitives are Col (dismissed) Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Lt Col (relieved) Shariful Haque Dalim, Maj (retd) Noor Chowdhury, Maj (Retd) Rashed Chowdhury and Risaldar Moslehuddin Khan.
Forty-five years on: Bangabandhu's five killers still most importantly
On August 15 in 1975, the Greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the country Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with almost all of his members of the family was brutally assassinated.
Eighteen members of the daddy of the country's family, including Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, three sons -- Captain Sheikh Kamal, Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russel, two daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother Sheikh Abu Naser, peasant leader Abdur Rab Serniabat, youth leader Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni and his pregnant wife Arzu Moni, Baby Serniabat, Sukanta Babu, Arif and Abdul Nayeem Khan Rintu were, amongst others, killed by the heinous killers on that fateful night.
Bangabandhu's Military Secretary Brigadier General Jamil was also murdered.
Several members of a family died in the capital's Mohammadpur area by artillery shells fired by the killers on a single day.
The Foreign Minister also sought support from Bangladeshi expatriates living in various countries alongside the federal government initiative to recreate the remaining five fugitive convicted killers of Father of the country and execute the verdict.
On November 19, 2009, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty of 12 convicted former army officials for the assassination of Bangabandhu and his members of the family.
Killers: Who's Where
Of the fugitives, the federal government knows the whereabouts of Noor Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury; and it had been not sure about the other fugitives -- Rashid, Dalim and Moslehuddin.
Forty-five years on: Bangabandhu's five killers still at large
Noor Chowdhury is currently in Canada while Rashed Chowdhury in america.
Dalim and Moslemuddin are thought to have been hiding in Spain and Germany respectively.
Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government is wanting to bring all of the five fugitive killers of Bangabandhu back again to the country.
"We’ll continue our efforts until all the five are brought back and their (death) sentences are executed," he said in a video message.
REGULATIONS Minister said killer Rashed Chowdhury has obtained political asylum in america.
When Bangladesh keeps looking to get back Rashed Chowdhury from the united states to execute the verdict, a media report will there be suggesting his US protection could possibly be revoked.
POLITICO, an American online portal, came up with a report headlined, "He thought he previously asylum. Now, he could face a death sentence" indicating that Rashed Chowdhury might lose his current protection and deportation from the united states.
Late last month, Attorney General William Barr quietly reopened a sprawling case that spans four decades and two continents, POLITICO reported.
Meanwhile, five killers of Bangabandhu - Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Ahmed - were hanged in January 2010. Another killer, Aziz Pasha, had met the natural death in Zimbabwe in 2001.
Why was the killing?
The anti-liberation clique killed Bangabandhu at the same time when he had engaged in the battle to build ‘Golden Bangladesh’ combined with the whole nation by reconstructing the war-ravaged country, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Through the killing of Bangabandhu, she said, the defeated forces of the Liberation War made abortive attempts to ruin the tradition, culture and advancement of the Bangalee Nation.
The aim of the killers was to break the state structure of secular democratic Bangladesh and foil our hard-earned Independence, the Prime Minister said in message on Friday.
The anti-liberation forces mixed up in carnage initiated the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy in the country right after the 15 August 1975.
In addition they impeded the trial of Bangabandhu murder by promulgating Indemnity Ordinance, she said adding that BNP-Jamaat Alliance government stopped the trial.
The Prime Minister said Ziaur Rahman had illegally bought out state power and promulgated Martial Law by desecrating democracy and suspending the Constitution.
Zia rewarded the killers of the daddy of the country and gave them jobs at Bangladesh missions abroad and gave the anti-liberation war criminals nationality, made them partners in state power and rehabilitated them politically and socially, said the Prime Minister.
