FM seeks nation’s support to locate Bangabandhu's fugitive killers

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday urged the people of the country, especially those living abroad, to provide information about killers of Bangabandhu as the government wants to bring them back home to implement the court verdict. 

"Give us information about them(killers) if you have any," he said, adding that they are yet to know whereabouts of three of the fugitive killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

The Foreign Minister said the government continues its efforts to know about the locations of the three killers.

"We have progressed to some extent regarding two of the killers. We can't yet say fully (successful). We are continuing our efforts on all fronts," Dr Momen said.

The Foreign Minister said the government is committed to bringing back five killers of Bangladesh to execute them implementing the court verdict. 

"It's our hope and expectation," he said adding that one of the killers - former captain Abdul Majed - was executed recently. 

Meanwhile, five killers of Bangabandhu – Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Ahmed – were hanged in January 2010. Another killer Aziz Pasha had met the natural death in Zimbabwe in 2001.

The fugitives are: Col (dismissed) Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Lt Col (relieved) Shariful Haque Dalim, Maj (retd) Noor Chowdhury, Maj (retd) Rashed Chowdhury and Risaldar Moslehuddin Khan. 

On November 19, 2009, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty of 12 convicted former army officials for the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family members.

Of the fugitives, the government knew the whereabouts of Noor Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury; and it was not sure about the other fugitives -- Rashid, Dalim and Moslehuddin.

Noor Chowdhury is now in Canada while Rashed Chowdhury in the USA.

Dalim and Moslemuddin are believed to have been hiding in Spain and Germany respectively.

On August 15 in 1975, the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members were brutally assassinated. 

Earlier, the Foreign Minister paid tributes to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait at Bangabandhu Corner set up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

He also attended a programme at the Foreign Service Academy. 

A doa mehfil was arranged at the MoFA Mosque seeking the salvation of the departed souls of Bangabandhu, his family members and others who were killed on August 15, 1975. 

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, among others, were present.