Bangladesh Ambassador in Washington Mohammad Ziauddin Saturday hoped that the US would return the killer of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Dhaka soon.
“We are convinced that the U.S.A, as champion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law shall return the killer to Bangladesh soon,” he said on Saturday at the embassy.
The Ambassador expressed his “strong optimism” at the National Mourning Day programme commemorating the 45th anniversary of martyrdom of Bangabandhu, the embassy said.
He characterized August 15 as a “cruelest massacre” in human history, observing that the killers not only slew an iconic leader and statesman but also tried to destroy its secular democratic state structure and extinguish the spirit and noble objectives of independence.
Bangabandhu was killed along with most of his family members at his home on Aug 15, 1975. His daughters Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived as they were abroad at the time.
But an Indemnity Ordinance was issued by the following military government, which had saved the self-proclaimed killers from facing justice.
The ordinance was abrogated in November 1996 when the Awami League returned to power, paving the way for bringing the killers to justice.
After a lengthy trial, the court convicted 12 suspects and awarded them the death penalty in 2010.
Five were hanged on Jan 28, 2010, one died of natural causes.
One of the six fugitive convicted killers, Abdul Mazed, was caught recently and executed by the government in April.
MA Rashed Chowdhury is living in the US while SHMB Noor Chowdhury is in Canada.
The government cannot say specifically the whereabouts of the other absconding convicts - Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim and Risaldar Moslemuddin.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had written to US President Donald Trump asking him to deport Rashed Chowdhury.
The US has recently reopened a decades-old asylum case against Rashed Chowdhury.
Ambassador Ziauddin said the killers joined by the anti-liberation traitors led by General Ziaur Rahman seized power illegally, destroyed democracy and introduced the politics of murder, coup and conspiracies.
He said the Zia regime tore the Constitution and adopted the infamous Indemnity Ordinance to block the trial of the killers and rewarded them with jobs in Bangladesh’s missions abroad.
The Ambassador said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government scrapped the Indemnity Ordinance, began trial of the killers and executed the verdict in the Bangabandhu murder case.
“It became clear to all that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was and is determined to uphold democracy and the rule of law at any cost,” the Ambassador said.
Amid a melancholy atmosphere, the National Mourning Day was observed at the embassy with due solemnity and dignity.
The officers and employees of the embassy wearing black badges offered rich tributes to the departed souls of the architect of Bangladesh’s independence and members of his family brutally killed on this day in 1975.
The Day’s programs began with the ceremonial hoisting of the national flag at half-mast by the Ambassador with the playing of the national anthem.
Then, the Ambassador accompanied by officers and employees placed a floral wreath at the bust of the Father of the Nation and stood in solemn silence for a while paying homage to the great leader.
Other programmes include reading out of the messages of the national leaders, screening documentaries on life and work of Bangbandhu and special prayers for the martyrs of the August 15 tragedy.
The messages of the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and State Minister for Foreign Affairs were read out.
A documentary on life and work of the Father of the Nation was also screened.