Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Friday said efforts are on to bring back condemned convict Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar for execution.
“You know he (Bachchu Razakar) has been awarded death penalty…he’ll be brought back home as soon as possible through diplomatic efforts after being sure of his hideouts,” the foreign minister told reporters in Chandpur after attending a programme.
The foreign minister said the government will follow the other processes too, apart from diplomatic efforts, to bring him back home quickly. “We’re carrying out our coordinated efforts to that end.”
She said, Bachchu Razakar went into hiding and the government is carrying out its best efforts to bring him back home to execute the verdict pronounced by the International Crimes Tribunal against him.
The foreign minister said there is no international pressure on the government as holding the trial of war criminals is Bangladesh’s internal matter. “More importantly, the trial is going on maintaining the international standard.”
On Monday, the International Crimes Tribunnal-2 awarded death penalty in absentia to Jamaat-e-Islami member (expelled) Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of the country 40 years ago.
Inviting the international community to join Bangladesh in celebrating the ICT’s first verdict, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Thursday said Bangladesh has now evolved as a society where there is no space for the culture of impunity or ‘horrors of impunity’.
On signing a number of deals with India, Dipu Moni said Bangladesh would hopefully to sign the extradition treaty with India during its home minister’s visit to Dhaka beginning from Monday.
“Indian home minister is coming on Monday…Indian external affairs minister will also visit Dhaka shortly,” she said.
On Thursday, the Indian cabinet approved the extradition treaty with Bangladesh to be signed during its home minister’s visit to Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir on Friday said Bangladesh would sign the extradition treaty with India on Tuesday.
“We hope to sign the deal on January 29 (Tuesday)…preparations from our part are going on to that end,” he told reporters after a function in the capital on Thursday.
He, however, did not explain how Bangladesh will be benefited by signing the deal with India.
Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Sambhaji Rao Shinde will visit Bangladesh from January 28-29 to further strengthen cooperation between the two neighboring countries in different areas, including security and border management.
The long-awaited treaty was cleared by the Indian cabinet at its meeting, presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, after Bangladesh government made minor modifications in the draft, according to Indian media.
The extradition treaty is expected to pave the way for the deportation of jailed Ulfa ‘general secretary’ Anup Chetia and many other insurgents from the northeast who have been hiding in Bangladesh.
Similarly, it will also help Dhaka get back its criminals who are currently lodged in Indian jails.
Rao Shinde, who is one of the most senior members of the Union Cabinet, will be here at the invitation of his counterpart Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir.
The minister will hold discussions on various issues of mutual interests with special focus on security, border management, border infrastructure, training and capacity building and people-to-people exchange.
During his visit, Shinde is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, said a press release of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Shinde’s visit follows the visit in December 2012 of the home minister of Bangladesh to India.
Shinde assumed the office of home minister on July 31 in 2012. He was earlier the minister of power at the centre and prior to that the governor of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2006 and chief minister of Maharashtra from 2003-2004.
He is currently the leader of the Lok Sabha.
Source: The Daily Star
