The government is determined to bring back the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who are living abroad. "We are trying our best to bring them back from abroad. We have already sought assistance of the International Police Organisation (Interpol) in this regard," law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told The Independent yesterday.

Referring to the home minister's recent statement in Singapore, Barrister Shafique said, "Our government has already sought assistance from the member countries of the Interpol to hand over the fugitive convicts of Bangabandhu murder case." Talking to this correspondent attorney general Mahbubey Alam said, "The government has been trying for long to bring them back. It is the moral and constitutional duty of a government to bring them into justice as they committed grave offence."

On October 12 last, home minister Advocate Sahara Khatun sought the assistance of Interpol to bring back the fugitive convicts in Bagabandhu Murder Case while addressing the 78th assembly session of Interpol conference in Singapore. Of those who received death sentence, former Lt Col Abdur Rashid, Lt Col Shariful Huq Dalim, Lt Col Noor, Risalder Moslemuddin, Lt Col Rashed Chowdhury and Capt Majed are now absconding abroad. Of them, Dalim is now hiding in Pakistan or Hong Kong, Nur Chowdhury in Canada, Majed and Moslemuddin in India, intelligence sources said.

Earlier on September in 1997, warrants of arrest were issued against the fugitive killers through Interpol. The government renewed the warrants against the absconding killers in January this year as there is a rule to renew such warrants once in 10 years. Now, the Interpol can arrest them from any part of the world, the sources said. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, architect of independent Bangladesh, was assassinated along with most of his family members on the fateful night of August 15 in 1975. But, none was allowed to file a case immediately after the assassination of 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The government of Khandker Mustaque Ahmed that was installed after the bloody military coup passed an ordinance in November that year indemnifying the perpetrators and closing the door on the possibility of a trial. The Awami League government revoked the indemnity ordinance in 1996 and cleared the way for trial. Then, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's personal assistant Muhitul Islam filed a case on October 2, 1996 with Dhanmondi Police Station against 24 persons.

District and Sessions Judge Kazi Golam Rosul awarded death sentence to 15 accused on November 8, 1998 and acquitted four others, including Taheruddin Thakur. Another accused and former president Khondker Moshtaque Ahmed died earlier. The death reference of the Bangabandhu murder case was then sent to the High Court for disposal. On December 14, 2000 the High Court gave a split verdict in the case. Justice Md Ruhul Amin upheld death sentences of 10 convicts while Justice A B M Khairul Haque retained death sentences of all 15. On April 30, 2001, the third HC bench of Justice Md Fazlul Karim confirmed capital punishment against 12 and acquitted three others.

A special bench of the Appellate Division, comprising Justice Tafazzal Islam, Justice Md Joynul Abedin and Justice Md Hassan Ameen, on September 23, 2007 granted leave to appeal. The court also asked them to file regular appeals for hearing by October 30, 2007. Of the 12 condemned convicts, four prisoners Lt Col (sacked) Syed Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col (retd) Muhiuddin Ahmed, Major (retd) Bazlul Huda filed the leave-to-appeal with the apex court in the last week of October 2007.

Another convict, lancer AKM Mohiuddin, made an appeal from jail after he was deported from the United States on June 18 last year. Six convicts are absconding in various countries while another absconding convict Aziz Pasha died in exile in Zimbabwe earlier. The freshly formed five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Mohammed Tafazzal Islam began hearing on the leave-to-appeals filed by five convicts and prisoners in Bangabandhu Murder Case on October 5. The court will resume hearing at 9:30 am today.

-The Independent