Dhaka, Nov 9 (IANS) Bangladesh wants custody of fugitive former army officers hiding abroad, who killed founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members on Aug 14, 1975, for an ongoing murder trial.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, the government’s top law officer, Monday prayed to the Supreme Court to pass “some observations that can help the government bring back the convicted accused hiding abroad,” Star Online reported.

There have been impediments in the past with foreign governments citing lack of evidence and technical hurdles to avoid handing over the fugitives to Dhaka.

“The convicts had confessed to the foreign media that they had killed the father of the nation, so there is no scope to show sympathy for them and reduce their convictions,” the attorney general said while making his submission before a five-judge bench of the apex court.

Alam told the media later that he told the court that Syed Faruk Rahman and Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan were “self-confessed killers” of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“The video footage of the statement of the killers confessing to their involvement with the killing on then UK-based Granada TV came to Bangladesh,” Alam said.

“Apart from that, The Time, the Sunday Times and other magazines reported their involvement. I have urged the Appellate Division to take cognisance of these issues. Their observation is needed for future trial.”

The attorney general said: “The convicts are now claiming themselves innocent. But Faruk Rahman and Abdur Rashid confessed to their involvement in the writ petition filed with the high court.”

“They deserve the highest punishment for that,” Star Online reported.

The attorney general said: “Many of the killers still remain fugitive. Lt Col AKM Mohidduin (lancer) during his stay in America confessed before a court there that he had killed Bangabandhu.”

“Other fugitive convicts also remain abroad (after) confessing to their involvement.”

“Many states have sheltered the killers. Libya is still sheltering them. The convicts have convinced many Muslim countries into believing that they had saved Islam by killing Mujib,” he added.

The attorney general completed his arguments at the trial that resumed last month after dragging for several years, when some of the judges withdrew.

The trial has been resumed after the return to power of Mujib’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina, who swept the parliamentary polls last December.