2 killers of Bangabandhu in the US
Two killers of Bangabandhu, AM Rashed Chowdhury and Moslem Uddin, live in the United States at present. The US has granted political asylum to AM Rashed Chowdhury but Moslem Uddin was denied this status.
Canada has refused to extradite another killer of Sheikh Mujib, Noor Chowdhury, due to its stance against capital punishment.
The government does not know where three out of the six self-proclaimed killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman live now. They are Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim and Abdul Majed.
The hope of bringing back the six killers is fading away gradually.
State minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam, told newsmen that he, during a meeting with US ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, sought help from the US to bring back Rashed Chowdhury.
The US ambassador informed him that Rashed Chowdhury was staying there after securing political asylum.
The state minister said, “We can appeal to Washington to bring back Rashed Chowdhury despite his political asylum. We can also appeal for the cancellation of his political asylum status. We will have to take legal and diplomatic steps to this end.”
Asked why the government did not appeal earlier, Shahriar said, “We were not clear about the details in the past and we had appealed then too. That initiative did not succeed and now fresh initiatives have been taken. The US ambassador has assurance us of their cooperation and she asked for certain information in this connection. We will provide her with the information.”
Talking to Prothom Alo over cell phone, former Bangladesh ambassador to US Akramul Quader said this was the first time he heard that Rashed Chowdhury took shelter in US on political asylum.
He said the issue of Rashed Chowdhury used to come for discussion in every political meeting with the US when he served as the ambassador. “They never gave us any special information about Rashed Chowdhury despite repeatedly assuring us of looking into the matter,” he said.
The former ambassador said the US immigration law prohibits giving such information about political asylum to any country.
Sstate minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam, on Thursday claimed that at least one of the six killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would be brought back to the country within the tenure of the current government.
However, the chairman of the taskforce on bringing back the killers of Bangabandhu, law minister Anisul Haque declined to make any comment when contacted in this connection.
Diplomatic sources said, Rashed Chowdhury is now staying in California while Moslem Uddin is endeavouring to legally secure political asylum there, after being turned down. It could not be ascertained where he stays now.
As for bringing back Noor Chowdhury, Shahriar Alam said that Noor Chowdhury appealed to Canada for political asylum there. The matter is yet to be finalised.
According to the Canadian law, it does not send back any death row convict. “Even after that, we will continue our efforts to get him back,” the state minister said.
Shahriar Alam admitted that the government has no information about the whereabouts of three other killers—Shariful Haque Dalim, Abdur Rashid and Abdul Majed.