Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said Dhaka would continue making efforts to bring back the convicted killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib from abroad.
"Today our demand will be to ensure justice. I believe that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take special measures to ensure that the murderers face justice. Not getting justice is a shame for us. I seek your help and support," he said at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs event on the occasion of the 93rd birth anniversary of Bangamata at the ministry’s auditorium.
Bangla Academy President Selina Hossain, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also spoke at the event.
A special prayer was also offered for the salvation of the departed souls of Bangamata, Bangabandhu and their martyred family members, as well as for the continued peace and prosperity of the country.
Bangamata was born on August 8, 1930 in Tungipara, Gopalganj, in a Muslim family.
Her father was Sheikh Zahurul Haque and her mother was Hosne Ara Begum. She was the youngest of the couple's two children.
On August 15, 1975, Bangamata was assassinated along with Bangabandhu and most of his family members at Dhanmondi 32. His daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, survived as they were abroad at the time.
Following the assassination, the military government of the country 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After assuming power in 1996, Bangabandhu's party, the Awami League, repealed the ordinance and initiated the trial of the assassins.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 on the loose.
Abdul Mazed, a fugitive convict, was arrested in Dhaka’s Gabtoli on April 7, 2020 and later 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 are unknown.
State Minister Shahriar Alam said Bangmata had not lived a luxurious life even as the first lady of Bangladesh.
"Silently, she worked for Bangabandhu, for the people of Bangladesh. No one ever went back empty-handed after her seeking help," she said.
"She even sold her gold ornaments to cover the cost of the cases. She showed immense patience."
The state minister said: “This noble woman was a worthy wife and an ideal mother. On the other hand, she developed herself as a shrewd politician and freedom fighter."
"Her memory was very sharp. During the movement, she reported every incident to Bangabandhu in jail and brought necessary advice and instructions to the party. She used to give instructions to Awami League and Chhatra League avoiding the eyes of police and intelligence agencies," he said.
