The government has allocated Tk1.6 crore to have Noor Chowdhury, one of Bangabandhu’s killers, extradited to Bangladesh to serve his death sentence.
Canadian authorities, citing Canadian legal limitations, have repeatedly declined to extradite Noor, official sources said.
In 2009, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict that handed down the death sentence to 12 people, including Noor Chowdhury, for the murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on August 15, 1975.
Last April the government appointed US-based law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP – Skadden in short – to help repatriate fugitive murderers of Banglabandhu resident in North America.
The extradition of Noor is bound to be a difficult process. Bangladesh and Canada do not have an extradition agreement. Moreover, Canadian does not allow the deportation of any person who might face the death penalty in their home country.
Law Minister Anisul Huq told the Dhaka Tribune: “Negotiations between Bangladesh and Canada are now in progress to bring back Bangabandhu killer Noor Chowdhury from Canada.” But he did not elaborate further.
“We are trying to bring back Bangabandhu’s other killers from several countries. This is a political pledge of the Awami League government,” he added.
The Finance Division’s Budget Wing 1 advised the Foreign Ministry that the allocation could come from a sub-head of the current fiscal year budget titled Law Expenses which contains Tk6 crore.
More funds may be allocated if needed in the revised budget, according to a Budget Wing letter issued by Finance Division Deputy Secretary Humaira Begum yesterday.
Five of Bangabandhu’s convicted killers – Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Ahmed – were executed in January 2010.