High Court asks how war criminal Ghulam Azam’s wife, nephew got VIP pass at airport

The High Court has asked how convicted war criminal Ghulam Azam’s wife and nephew secured VIP passes at the Shahjalal International Airport.

The bench of justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman issued a rule on Wednesday, when lawyer Muntasir Uddin Ahmed drew the court’s attention to a newspaper report.

Bengali daily ‘Janakantha’ reported on Apr 9 that late Azam’s wife Syeda Afifa Azam and nephew Lutful Kabir tried to cross the immigration with VIP passes on Apr 8 to go to Saudi Arabia.

Police, however, intercepted them and led them out of the airport.

The High Court bench asked whether any action had been taken against those responsible for giving them VIP passes.

It instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh chairman to submit a report within two weeks.

The bench also asked the home secretary, CAAB chairman, Uttara police’s deputy commissioner, Airport Police Station OC, airport’s director, chief security officer and those who gave the passes to answer the rule in two weeks.

Lawyer Ahmed said the court fixed May 12 for passing an order on the matter.

The report said Airport Director Group Captain Zakir Hossain had provided them with the VIP passes concealing their identities.

There were restrictions on the Azam family and close relations on leaving the country.

The International Crimes Tribunal on Jun 15, 2013 had awarded former Jamaat-e-Islami chief 90 years in prison, considering his health, for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

He died in hospital on Oct 23 last year at the age of 92, when his appeal against the verdict was pending with the Appellate Division.