Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the expatriate Bangladeshis in Canada and the US to build up public opinion for extradition of convicted assassins of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Published : 19 Sep 2016, 12:59 AM
She launched the appeal at a reception accorded to her at Centre Mont-Royal in Montreal, Canada on Saturday local time by expatriate Bangladeshis, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Ihsanul Karim told bdnews24.com.
On Friday, Hasina discussed the issue of extradition of the Bangabandhu's self-proclaimed killer Noor Chowdhury with her Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.
After the bilateral meeting, Karim told bdnews24.com that officials of the two countries would discuss ways of ensuring the extradition of Noor to Bangladesh.
Noor Chowdhury, a death sentence convict in the Bangabandhu assassination case, is now leading a fugitive’s life in the North American country.
Rashed Chowdhury, another convicted killer of the nation’s founding father, is in the United States now. Hasina is scheduled to visit the country at the end of the Canada tour to join the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
"How could a civilised country give shelter to a convicted killer," Hasina wondered, according to Karim.
"I demand you write letters to pubic representatives of the countries where you are living and ask . . . why those countries would give shelter to the killers of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," Karim quoted her as telling the expats.
Hasina said the government so far knows that one convicted killer of the Bangabandhu is hiding in the US, one in Canada, two in Pakistan while two others are traceless.
". . . we are hunting them down," she said.
Speaking about the war crimes trial, the prime minister said she and her government had to overcome obstructions to try the war criminals and execute their sentences.
She asked the expatriate Bangladeshis also to remain alert so that their children do not engage in militancy.
"It's not expected of anybody that the children of well-off families who pursue study in English medium schools and reputed universities would work like an executioner," she said, in reference to the terror attack on a cafe in Dhaka's Gulshan on July 1.
Most of the suspects killed during a raid to free hostages from the cafe were from rich families and renowned educational institutions.
Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was raised in Canada. At least 22 persons, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the attack.
"All expect that those who pursue study abroad would be liberal-minded. But questions arise in the public mind as to how do they get engaged in fanaticism undermining Islam," Karim quoted Hasina as saying.
The prime minister said the anti-militancy activities of her government yielded results as those who had planned to carry out more attacks have been arrested, according to Karim.
She also blamed the government of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami for 'harbouring' militancy and terrorism.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq were also present at the function organised by ruling Awami League's Canada unit.
The unit's chief Golam Mohammad Mahmud Mia presided over the function, while General Secretary Azizur Rahman Prince moderated it.