Where is Bachchu Razakar?

Bangladesh’s many security and intelligence agencies have failed to provide any clue on the whereabouts of Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar who has been sentenced to death for committing war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War.

“There’s an arrest warrant against him (Azad). We are looking for him,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hasan Mahmood Khandaker told bdnews24.com.

When asked about Azad’s location, the IGP said he would refrain from commenting on the whereabouts for “tactical reasons”.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is also ‘not sure’ whether the former Jamaat-e-Islami activist is staying in the country or abroad.

“We are looking for Bachchu Razakar . If his location is found to be in Bangladesh, the RAB will conduct operations to nab him,”  RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman said.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Azad to death on Monday for atrocities during the Liberation War. This is the first verdict on war crimes charges by the tribunals set up to try them.

The accused had been absconding since the beginning of the trials.

Bachchu Razakar gave detectives a slip on Mar 30 last year . Bangladesh intelligence says it has reports that he crossed into Hilli in India’s West Bengal state on April 2 and then reached Pakistan through Nepal. But there is no independent confirmation.

However, the law enforcers detained his sons Shah Mohammad Faisal Azad, 36, Abul Kashem Muhammad Mushfique Billah Zihad, 34, brother-in-law Ehteshamul Haque Liton, and friends ‘Yusuf’ and Abul Kashem Azad for allegedly assisting his escape.

Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Masudur Rahman said although Bachchu Razakar had escaped to Pakistan, the law enforcers were always alert to possibilities of his return, in case he did.

The DMP official said tight security measures has been taken to ensure no untoward incident occurred after the historic verdict in the first war crimes case.

Days after Bachchu Razakar had reportedly fled the country; RAB cited the detainees and said that Azad was taken to the Hili land port in the car of a former National University teacher ‘Yusuf’. There he was kept at Kapila Hotel, owned by his friend Abul Kashem Azad.

Citing his two sons, RAB had said, Bachchu fled to India to go to Pakistan.

According to RAB, the former Jamaat leader’s son Zihad had said his father went to Dr Yusuf’s Agargaon residence on Mar 30. From there, he was taken to the Hili land port in a black car.

Bachchu Razakar had reportedly contacted his brother-in-law on April 3 and said he was safe in India. In course of conversation, he came to know that a warrant had been issued against him.

The international crimes tribunal had issued a warrant against him on April 3 last year for his alleged complicity with crimes against humanity committed during the nation’s War of Independence in 1971.

Police had raided his Uttarkhan residence, his office and at various areas adjacent to the capital but failed to nab him.

Ever since then, Bachchu Razakar’s whereabouts had remained shrouded in mystery.