Canada is reluctant to send back Bangabandhu killer Noor Chowdhury who is currently in the country.
Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit Prefontaine said this at a program titled “DCAB Talk organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association, Bangladesh on Thursday.
“Historically Canada is very, very averse to extraditing someone to a country where they could face death penalty,” he said.
Prefontaine said adding: “It is up to the Canadian court to decide and it is inappropriate for me to comment other than where does Canada’s reluctance come from.”
Canada has actively opposed the death penalty in recent decades, refusing extradition requests even to the US unless there are assurances the US prosecutors will not seek the death penalty. Capital punishment was removed from the Canadian Criminal Code in 1976.
None of the six fugitive convicted killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman could be brought back home in the past years, though the government insists that it is a top-priority issue.
Economic engagement
Meanwhile, there has been steady growth of business between Canada and Bangladesh, it has mostly happened due to increased export from the latter, the envoy said.
“Now it’s up to us to also start putting more effort into getting our business community to pay more attention to business opportunities in Bangladesh,” said Prefontaine, who spent most of his career in trade and economic areas.
Nine months ago, a new diplomatic position was created at the Canadian mission in Dhaka to boost bilateral trade, he said. “He is a diplomat specialized in trade, investment, education, science and technology.”
