Despite 15 years elapsing, all concerned officials are repeatedly claiming they are trying to bring back the absconding killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as soon as possible.
However, leading political observers have said that 15 years is enough time to bring back all the hated killers who killed the world’s best leader on the dark night of August 15 in 1975.
Efforts are geared up when the mourning month of August comes. Later, all these efforts become apparently inactive and the vital issue becomes less important for the concerned officials.
In the national mourning month of August every year, ministers, diplomats and other senior government officials exhibit their efforts to bring back the absconding killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
But the reality is totally different. The high level task force formed to speed up the efforts, has not held even a single meeting this year.
Talking to Bangladesh Post on Monday, Enamul Haque Sagor, Additional Superintendent of Police (Media and Public Relations) of the Police Headquarters said, “We are desperately trying to trace the untraced killers.”
Our efforts are continuing and we are regularly communicating with all concerned to trace the fugitive killers, he claimed.
However, sources in the foreign ministry claimed that due to the non-cooperation of some influential countries, the process of bringing back the fugitive killers was yet to be successful.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen recently said it is shameful for the United States and Canada as they so far have failed to deport Bangabandhu's convicted killers, despite being major advocates of human rights across the globe.
"The self-declared killers have been living in the same countries [US and Canada] that lecture about humanism, speak out about human rights, but give refuge to these self-confessed murderers. They should be ashamed," he said.
National Central Bureau (NCB), local wing of international police organisation INTERPOL, deals with the issue on behalf of the police headquarters.
According to the sources in NCB, there are still five absconding convicts.
Sources in the Police Headquarters admitted that the remaining three death row convicts could not be traced as yet.
The absconding killers are sacked army officers Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Noor Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury, and Moslehuddin Khan.
According to a secret document prepared by the Police Headquarters, self-confessed killer Noor Chowdhury is currently in Canada.
NCB sources said red notice is still effective against Noor Chowdhury.
On August 31 in 2009, INTERPOL issued a red notice against him. On March 25 in 2019, the red notice was extended for another five years.
Killer Rashed Chowdhury is currently living in the USA. Red notice was issued against him on January 7 in 2009. On July 26 in 2018, red notice was extended for another five years, the PHQ document reads.
NCB sources said they could not specifically trace another three absconding killers till now.
However, they said sacked army officer Shariful Haque Dalim may be hiding in Pakistan or Libya.
On June 28 in 2009, INTERPOL issued a red notice against him. On January 7, red notice was extended for another five years.
The current hideout of sacked army officer killer Khandaker Abdur Rashid , one of the masterminds of the Bangabandhu’s assassination is yet to be traced.
NCB officials said he may be hiding in Libya or Zimbabwe.
On August 31 in 2009, INTERPOL issued a red notice against him. On March 25 in 2019, red notice was extended for another five years.
Killer Musleh Udddin is also yet to be traced. However, the NCB head said the fugitive may be hiding in Pakistan.
In June 2009, INTERPOL issued a red notice against him. On December 4 in 2018, red notice was extended for another five years.
NCB officials said they sent letters to the Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry to bring back Noor Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury through diplomatic channels.
NCB officials said they are regularly communicating with NCB- Canada, NCB- USA and INTERPOL headquarters regarding the two fugitives who were already traced.
After getting specific locations of Shariful Haque Dalim, Khandaker Abdur Rashid and Musleh Uddin, we shall inform the foreign ministry through the home ministry, said an NCB official.
About the possible time of tracing the untraced killers, a senior police officer said, we are regularly sending emails to the concerned NCB whenever we get any possible information of their probable hideout.
Some countries respond, but some do not to our queries, he further said.
Main problem is that you cannot bring INTERPOL under any compulsion, he said adding, it is very difficult for us, if any country does not want to inform us about the whereabouts of the fugitives.
He said that after such long years, it is really so difficult to track the killers as their physical appearances have possibly changed a lot.
As a result, we need to use our expatriate intelligence to trace the fugitive killers of the founder of Bangladesh, he opined.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of August 15, 1975 and this carnage is touted as the ugliest chapter of the nation’s history.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, escaped the planned assassination with her sister Sheikh Rehana as they were overseas at the time.