Bangladesh is to launch a global appeal to track down the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as Dhaka joins the 78th annual general meeting of Interpol later this week in Singapore, Home Minister Sahara Khatun said yesterday.
"I will definitely make the appeal to 187 member nations of the international police organisation to track down the fugitive convicts of Bangabandhu Murder Trial and the Jail Killing Case," said Sahara, who will lead a six-member delegation to the conference to be held on October 11-15.
The minister said Dhaka would also reiterate its earlier call urging the foreign nations to extradite the killers and offer extradition of 'most wanted criminals' of other countries.
Officials said this is for the first time home ministers of member countries are joining the annual Interpol conference while its earlier 77 meets were attended by police chiefs of member countries of the international police body having its headquarters in France.
The Bangladesh delegation includes the inspector general of police, additional home secretary and the additional deputy inspector general of police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Bangladesh earlier launched a campaign to track down and extradite six fugitive ex-army officers hiding abroad to escape death sentences for the August 15, 1975 assassination of Bangabandhu and his family members.
"The diplomatic maneuvering is underway to return the convicts home. . . Bangladesh will do everything necessary to bring the killers to justice," Foreign Minister Dipu Moni last month told BSS ahead of the start of the delayed final appeal hearing of the Bangabandhu Murder Trial.
Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes also said Bangladesh missions abroad were equipped with necessary directives about the fugitives, but declined to comment about their whereabouts or if all of them were tracked down abroad because of the "sensitivity of the issue".
He, however, hinted that necessary intelligence were gathered in some cases to launch the diplomatic maneuvering for their return, saying, "I can assure you, at the end of the day the killers will be brought to justice."
Police said Interpol issued a second "red warrant" in May, renewing an earlier one to track down the absconding assassins and 1975 plotters after the process for tracking them down was virtually stalled for years during the previous BNP-led regime.
A senior official at the police headquarters preferring anonymity said the United States Homeland Security had already tracked down one of the fugitive convicts in line with the Interpol's global alert while "communications through proper channel" was underway for his return home.
The six absconding convicts are sacked lieutenant colonels Khondokar Abdur Rashid, SHMB Noor Chowdhury, the man who shot Bangabandhu dead along with Huda, Shariful Haque Dalim, Rashed Chowdhury, former captain MA Majed and ex-army risaldar Moslem Uddin.