Bangladesh News

The governments between 1975 and 1996 had helped rehabilitate the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family.

The High Court judgment in Bangabandhu murder case quotes this from the statements of prosecution witnesses and accused.

During the sixth day’s hearing on five convicts’ appeals against death sentences, Abdullah-al Mamun, counsel for Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin, yesterday continued reading the verdict to the five-member Appellate Division bench.

In particular, he recited the statement of prosecution witness Col (retd) Shafayat Jamil.

In his testimony attached to the verdict, Shafayat Jamil said Pakistan recognised Bangladesh under Khondker Moshtaq Ahmed within an hour after the killings of Bangabandhu and family members on August 15, 1975.

He said Moshtaq, who was sworn in as president, would hail the killers as Surja Santan (the gallant sons) at different functions.

Syed Faruque Rahman, a convict in the murder case, who was dismissed for attempting to stir up a mutiny in Savar and Bogra cantonments and an uprising against Ziaur Rahman, was even a presidential candidate in Bangladesh in 1986.

Shafayat said that after taking power on November 7, 1975, Major General Ziaur Rahman rehabilitated the army officers involved in the killings of August 15 and November 3 earlier that year.

He rewarded them with postings to Bangladesh missions in different countries.

Convicts Major Faruque Rahman and Major Khondker Abdur Rashid however did not accept any job abroad. They returned home in 1976.

While Faruque tried a mutiny in Savar and Bogra cantonments, Major Rashid attempted to usurp the commanding officer’s position in 2 Field Artillery.

Still, Zia did not take any action against them. Instead, he sent them abroad.

The officers, involved in the August 15 bloodbath, tried in vain to stage a revolt against Ziaur Rahman towards the end of 1980. This time they all got the axe.

The killers of Bangabandhu got rehabilitated for the second time after HM Ershad came to power on Ziaur Rahman’s death.

Ershad paid them all their arrears.

The SC fixed 9:30am today for further hearing on the appeals.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday told reporters the August 15 incidents had left Major General (retd) Shafiullah, the then army chief, exhausted, while Ziaur Rahman appeared quite normal.