BNP demands fresh investigation into the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

The BNP has demanded a fresh investigation into the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which has been tried.

Five persons had already been executed over the killing of Bangladesh’s founding father.
 
BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon raised the demand on Tuesday following the comments of Sheikh Mujib’s nephew and Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, and former army chief KM Shafiullah in a TV talk show.
 
“It can be assumed from those conversations between the two leaders that the then army chief KM Shafiullah was linked to the assassination. A responsible leader of the party like Sheikh Fazlul Karim made the allegation,” Ripon said.
 
“This is a serious allegation. (We demand that) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s assassination be investigated again,” he said.
 

The BNP leader said Shafiullah’s role in the assassination, as was alleged by Selim, could be verified if the case was reinvestigated.

“He who made the allegation is a presidium member of the ruling party, the nephew of the assassinated president. It’s not a matter to be taken lightly,” he added.

After the murder of Sheikh Mujib along with most members of his family on Aug 15, 1975, the Constitution was changed to indemnify the self-proclaimed killers.

The Awami League repealed it when it came to power in 1996 after 21 years.

A case was filed subsequently and the trial court sentenced 15 accused to death. The Supreme Court upheld the capital punishment of 12, all former army officers.

Five of them - Syed Faruque Rahman, Sultan Shahariar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, Mohiuddin Ahmed and AKM Mohiuddin – were executed in 2010. Others are absconding.

Former Chhatra Dal leader Ripon said, “We think that many involved in the Aug 15 incident escaped trial. Now new information has emerged against the then army chief.

“So I’ll ask the government to start a reinvestigation from within its own party.”

Citing media reports and books on the carnage, he said ministers of the then Awami League government knew about it beforehand.

“Why were the leaders silent at the time? Why were the Rakkhi Bahini and its chief Tofail Ahmed silent? His role should be investigated,” Ripon said.

"I hope the government will give due importance to our observation,” he added.

Awami League leaders blame the then deputy chief of army Ziaur Rahman, who subsequently rose to the helm of power and founded the BNP, for the murder.

Ripon, however, denied the allegation of Zia’s involvement in the murder.

“Many give false and imaginary information implicating our party founder Ziaur Rahman to defame him. Ziaur Rahman did not believe in the politics of killings.

“He was a disciplined officer during his service. The then deputy chief of army did not have any command. The government did away with the post as it had no importance,” he said. 

“But they do not attack or blame the then army chief of general staff Khaled Mosharraf, 44 Brigade chief Shafayet Jamil and others. It was Khaled Mosharraf who incarcerated the army chief to take the charge by breaking the army’s chain of command at the time (Nov 4, 1975).

“He (Khaled Mosharraf) helped whoever was accused of the killing, Faruque, Rashid, everyone, to go abroad,” Ripon said.

Zia, a sector commander of the Liberation War, allegedly killed many freedom fighter army officials in court martial.

One of the victims was Col Md Abu Taher.

The High Court in a verdict over his death said ‘Zia murdered Taher cold-bloodedly’ in the name of court martial.