The army officers directly involved in the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family have been tried and convicted, but the "real plotters" remain untraced, says Abdul Kader Siddique, a leader o ...
'Huda, Mohiuddin, Pasha, Noor were directly involved'
Four convicts retired Major Bazlul Huda, Lt Col A K M Mohiuddin, Lt Col Aziz Pasha and Lt Col Noor were directly involved with the killing of president 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Supreme Court heard on Tuesday. FULL STORY
Published : 13 Oct 2009, 03:39 AM
Updated : 13 Oct 2009, 03:39 AM
Dhaka, Oct 13 (bdnews24.com)–Four convicts retired Major Bazlul Huda, Lt Col A K M Mohiuddin, Lt Col Aziz Pasha and Lt Col Noor were directly involved with the killing of president 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The five-judge bench of the Appellate Division led by Justice Mohammed Tafazzal Islam heard the observation from a previous ruling by Justice A B M Khairul Haque at the hearing for the seventh day on Tuesday .
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, counsel for convicts retired Major Bazlul Huda and retired Lt Col A K M Mohiuddin, finished reading out the ruling by Justice Haque from the paperbook.
He said: "Justice Haque in his ruling said retired Major Bazlul Huda, retired Lt Col A K M Mohiuddin, Lt Col Aziz Pasha and Lt Col Noor were in Bangabandhu's house during the killing. The four were directly involved in the killing.
"They went to Bangabandhu's house at around 4am. Huda first killed Sheikh Kamal and then with Major Noor killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"At the end of the ruling Justice Haque said the convicts not only killed Bangabandhu but they killed the then president and independence architect. He was killed by some dissatisfied army officers.
"They mercilessly killed all the family members including three women and one boy present at home then.
"They also killed his nephew Sheikh Moni and brother-in-law Abdur Rob Serniabat.
"This massive killing was not aimless.
"Risalder Moslemuddin reached the spot after completing mission at Fazlul Huq Moni's. Major Pasha went to the first floor with his lancer army, took the weapon (Stengun) from Moslemuddin and shot Begum Mujib, Sheikh Jamal and the wives of two sons.
"Sheikh Russel was taken to the ground floor following his (Pasha) order and again brought to the first floor and was shot.
The evidence said then only Major Huda, Lt Col A K M Mohiuddin, Lt Col Pasha, Lt Col Noor and Risalder Moslemuddin were present at the spot. The other convicts were not there.
It also said Major Rahman moved to the headquarters from the cantonment with a tank and then to Rakkhi Bahini headquarters at Dhanmondi 32 and then to the radio station.
"They did it not only to kill him with his family, but also to uproot the government...
"The convicts made all arrangements so that no body could thwart the killing," the lawyer said, further quoting the ruling by Justice Haque of the High Court.
"Justice Haque also said those including dismissed Lt Col Syed Farukur Rahman, retired Col Shariful Haque Dalim, retired Lt Col Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan who were not in that house would also be considered involved with the event.
"They also made plots to kill Bangabandhu and were engaged in many areas for the purpose.
"Justice Haque said there were tanks in front of special force (Rokkhi Bahini) headquarters, Dhanmondi and Kalabagan.
"Syed Farukur Rahman fired tank shells in front of 46 brigade and the soldiers got scared.
"Justice Haque also said the convicts did not give away with killing they formed government led by Khandaker Mustaque Ahmed to confirm the state power.
"Common soldiers, police and air and navy forces were not involved with the incident. A number of renegade soldiers of the army were involved there, the ruling said," Mamun added.
At the hearing, he also read out the petitions by convicts Bazlul Huda, Syed Faruk Rahman, Mohiuddin Ahmed and Sultan Shahriar Khan.
Barrister Mamun has started reading out the ruling given by a third High Court judge, justice Mohammed Fazlul Karim.
The apex court on the sixth day had heard that governments between 1975 and 1996 had protected and rehabilitated the killers of president 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The court also heard that Pakistan was among the first countries which acknowledged the new government immediately after the bloody coup on Aug 15, 1975.
The freshly formed bench headed by Justice Mohammed Tafazzal Islam began hearing the appeals on Mujib murder case on Oct 5.
A day before, chief justice M M Ruhul Amin constituted the bench with justices Mohammed Abdul Aziz, Bijoy Kumar Das, Mohammed Mozammel Hossain and Surendra Kumar Sinha being the other members.
None was allowed to file a case immediately after the assassination of the president and independence hero 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Aug 15, 1975.
The government of Khandker Mustaque Ahmed that was installed after the bloody military coup passed an ordinance in November that year indemnifying the perpetrators and closing the door on the possibility of a trial.
The Awami League government revoked the indemnity ordinance in 1996 and cleared the way for the trial. Then, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's personal assistant Muhitul Islam filed a case on Oct 2, 1996 with Dhanmondi Police Station against 24 persons.
On Nov 8, 1998, Dhaka sessions judge Golam Rasul awarded death sentences to 15 of the 20 accused. Four of the convicts major (retd) Bazlul Huda, Lt Col (dismissed) Syed Faruk Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and Lt Col (retd) Mohiuddin Ahmed appealed to the High Court against the verdict.
On Dec 14, 2000 the High Court gave a split verdict in the case—Justice Md Ruhul Amin upheld death sentences of 10 of the convicts but Justice A B M Khairul Haque retained death sentences of all 15.
On April 30, 2001 Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim of a third High Court bench upheld death sentences of 12 and acquitted three.
Of the 12 death convicts, four submitted 'leave to appeal' in the Appellate Division in the same year.
Another death convict, lancer AKM Mohiuddin, made an appeal from jail after he was deported from the United States on June 18 last year.
Of those having received death sentence, former Lt col Abdur Rashid, Lt Col Shariful Haq Dalim, Lt Col Noor, Risalder Moslemuddin, Lt Col Rashed Chowdhury and Capt Majed are absconding.
Absconding convict Aziz Pasha died in exile in Zimbabwe.
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