Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday criticised Western countries for their inability to return the convicted killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Bangladesh to face justice, describing it as shameful inaction.
"Their words do not match their actions," he said, indicating that the US and Canada talk about human rights issues but provide shelter to the killers under a "different pretext."
The foreign minister made these remarks at a tree-planting event to mark the beginning of the Month of Mourning. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam was also present.
On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu was assassinated along with his family members at Dhanmondi 32. His daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, survived as they were abroad at the time. Sheikh Hasina has now achieved the feat of being the longest-serving prime minister of Bangladesh.
Following the brutal assassination, the military government issued an indemnity ordinance that prevented the killers from facing legal action and even provided them with jobs in the foreign ministry.
After assuming power in 1996, Bangabandhu's party, the Awami League, repealed the ordinance and initiated the trial of the assassins. After a lengthy trial, the court convicted 12 suspects and sentenced them to death in 2010.
Of the self-proclaimed killers, five were hanged on January 28, 2010. They were Syed Faruque Rahman, Sultan Shahariar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, Mohiuddin Ahmed and AKM Mohiuddin. Another of the killers, Aziz Pasha, died while at large.
Abdul Mazed, a fugitive convict, was arrested in Dhaka’s Gabtoli on April 7, 2020, and executed following legal procedures.
Rashed Chowdhury is currently living in the US, while Noor Chowdhury is in Canada.
The whereabouts of Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, and Risaldar Moslemuddin remain unknown.
The foreign minister expressed his disappointment over the inability to bring the killers back from the US and Canada. "But it is a shame for them (Washington and Ottawa)," he said. "We are disappointed."
He said Canada did not return Noor Chowdhury on the ground that he had been sentenced to death in Bangladesh.
"On return, he has the scope to seek mercy," the foreign minister said, adding that Canada has not even confirmed his citizenship status.
Regarding Rashed Chowdhury, the foreign minister said that the US government never said that it would not return him. The US authorities informed Bangladesh that he is in a court process, and that the matter is with the attorney general.
"We were in touch with the attorney general who asked for details about his trial. We sent the details. But after that, there has been no progress," he added.
The minister said the saplings had been planted at the Foreign Service Academy, as it was the first office of Bangabandhu after the birth of Bangladesh. The old building was also converted into a museum.