Murderer of 4 national leaders dies in Canada

Kismat Hashem, convicted for the 1975 killing of four national leaders, has died in Canada.

His younger brother and Narayanganj BNP’s Joint Secretary General Shawkat Hashem Shaku said he died in Montreal around 6am on Thursday(Bangladesh time).
 
The 65-year-old convict would be buried in Canada, he said.
 

Hashem was also one of accused in the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman but was acquitted as the charges against had not been proved.

He died on the day when Bangladesh is observing its Independence Day.

A section of the army assumed power after the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family on Aug 15, 1975.

Four national leaders - Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Capt. Mansur Ali, and AHM Kamruzzaman - were arrested soon after the killing.

On Nov 3, they were murdered in the Dhaka Central Jail amid the army coup and counter-coup outside to seize power.

The jail killings trial started in 1996 when the Awami League came to power for the first time after 1975.

In 2004, a trial court had ordered death for three and life imprisonment for twelve, including Kismat Hashem. All those convicted were in the army in 1975.

Hashem’s sentence was later upheld by the Appellate Division. 

He had left the country in 1975 after the jail killings.

He had been to Bangladesh on and off during the regime of military rulers Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad.

However, he was not seen after General Ershad was toppled in 1990.

Bangladesh police had issued a warrant via the Interpol for Hashem’s arrest.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry had also tried to bring him back.