Interpol red alert for Mujib killers

DHAKA - Interpol has issued a red alert for six former Bangladesh Army officers who have been convicted for killing the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 34 years ago.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun, who made the announcement Tuesday, asked the top functionaries of the government to “keep mum for the time being” on the issue, Star Online reported.

“It’s not right to disclose the information about the procedure the government is following currently to bring the fugitive convicts back, as they may get the opportunity to flee from the countries they are hiding right now to evade capture.”

Her caution came a day after Law Minister Shafiq Ahmed and a junior minister told the media that Canadian authorities had seized the passport of Major (retd) Noor Chowdhury, one of the six who were sentenced to death last month.

The ministers said efforts were on to get Chowdhury from Canada where he has failed to get refugee status and was submitting an appeal to the court for permission to stay on.

“We must bring them back through mutual agreement with the countries that have no extradition treaties,” the home minister said.

Sheikh Mujib, officially referred to with the honorific Bangabandhu who was then the country’s president, was killed in a coup on the morning of Aug 15, 1975, less than four years after he led a movement that culminated in the emergence of Bangladesh after its violent separation from Pakistan.

On Nov 19, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected appeals filed by five convicted killers and upheld their death sentences in the assassination case.

Bazlul Huda, Syed Faruk Khan, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed and A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed are awaiting the gallows, unless they file an appeal and seek presidential pardon.

Another six convicts also sentenced to death in the case are Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haq Dalim, Noor Chowdhury, Moslemuddin, Rashed Chowdhury and Abdul Majed. They are believed to be living in the US, Libya and Pakistan.