Hindustan Surkhiyan Desk:Today, United States Awami League, organized a program in front of the State Department , demanding the return of Rashid Chowdhury, the killer of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In a press release, this information was given by the United States Awami League president Siddiqur Rahman.
In August, the US daily “The Daily Caller” quoted that US President Donald Trump has showed a positive attitude about returning Bangabandhu’s killer Major AM Rashed Chowdhury back to Bangladesh. But so far no legal step has yet been initiated to send him back to Dhaka.”
Following the independence of Bangladesh in 16 December 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned to Bangladesh on 10 January 1972. But this euphoria would not last long. Four years later, with the country still unable to recover from the destruction caused by Swadhinata Juddho (Independence War), on 15 August 1975, he was massacred at his home at Dhanmondi in the capital Dhaka, along with 21 members of his family and close associates by few disgruntled army men.
The military decided not to court-martial the military officials who masterminded and participated in the coup. The conspirators could not be tried in court of law on the charge of assassination because of the Indemnity Act passed by the government under President Khondaker Mustaq Ahmed. However, when Awami League, led by Mujibur’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina, won the election in 1996, it repealed the Act. The trial ended on 8 November 1998, and death sentences by firing squad were given to 15 out of 20 accused of the assassination.
On August 2, 1996 cases were filed against Rashid Chowdhury, under sections 120 (B), 302, 324, 307, 109 and 34 of the Penal Code and arrest warrant was issued on 9 August 1996.
Bangladesh government has been deeply engaged and continued discussion with the US government about the extradition of Rashid Chowdhury , but the US government has not yet agreed to extradite him because of “legal complexities”.
The government has repeatedly asked the US government to extradite Rashed, cancelling his political asylum. Highly placed sources at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and foreign ministry said there was constant contact with the US Department of State and also with the Justice Department for the deportation of Rashed Chowdhury.
Dhaka came to know about Rashed’s status only when US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat in August 2015 officially informed Dhaka that Rashed was in the US after securing political asylum. A former ambassador in Washington during the previous BNP regime gave a nod to the US administration to give Rashed political asylum, diplomat clamed.
Siddiqur Rahman, President, United States Awami League; Dr. Masudul Hasan, Adviser, United States Awami League; Abdus Samad Azad, Acting General Secretary, United States Awami League; Abdul Hasib, Organizing Secretary, United States Awami League; Haji Enam, Publicity Secretary, United States Awami League; Emdad Chowdhury, General Secretary, Metropolitan Awami League; Freedom fighter Sohrab Sarkar, Member, United States Awami League; Shahanara Rahman, Member, United States Awami League were present in the program. Apart from them, other leaders of the metropolitan Awami League, State Awami League and associate body organizations were also took part in the protest.
