Sahara Asks Ministers to keep Mum on Fugitive Killers

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Sahara Asks Ministers to keep Mum on Fugitive Killers Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday asked the top functionaries of the government to keep mum for the time being on the issue of bringing back Bangabandhu’s killers, currently absconding in different countries.

In a discussion with reporters at her Secretariat office, she also said a ‘red alert’ has been issued by the Interpol for the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to bring them back.

Answering a query about Law Minister Shafique Ahmed’s remark on bringing back Noor Chowdhury, a convict in Bangabandhu assassination case, from Canada, Sahara said, “It’s not right to disclose the information about the procedure the government is following to bring the fugitive convicts back, as they may get the opportunity to flee from the countries they are hiding in right now to evade capture.”

She said the convicts are adopting a modus operandi to change their locations.

The minister said that the Foreign Ministry was trying to bring back all the fugitive convicted killers.

“We must bring them back through mutual agreement with the countries that have no extradi

Meanwhile, on Monday, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said that Canada has agreed to deport Noor Chowdhury, one of 12 former army officers convicted and sentenced to death for the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He gave details of the decision, telling reporters Canadian authorities have seized Noor Chowdhury’s passport for living illegally in the country, and also rejected his applications for a residency permit and asylum.

Returning to the country after a 10-day visit to Canada, the Law Minister said Nur Chowdhury currently has to report to the police once every week. He also said Chowdhury was trying to appeal against the Canadian Government’s decision.

Answering a question on the whereabouts of Shariful Haque Dalim, another fugitive convict in the case, Shafique said, “I have learnt that he was in Canada for a while. But he has reportedly left the country.”

On November 19, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court gave a historic judgment denying the appeals filed by five convicted killers, upholding their death sentences in the assassination case.

Bazlul Huda, Syed Faruk Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed and AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed had appealed to commute their death penalties.