Five-judge bench to resume trial in Sheikh Mujibur’s murder

DHAKA - Bangladesh Chief Justice M.M. Ruhul Amin Sunday constituted a five-member bench to resume the trial for the assassination of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members in a military-led putsch on Aug 15, 1975.

The hearing on the appeals by five former army personnel awarded death will start Monday, Star Online reported.

The case has a long and chequered history. It was filed 21 years after the assassination, only during the earlier tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Its progress has depended upon the political dispensation in power. No one was allowed to file a case immediately after the assassination. Between 1975 and 1990, the country witnessed 15 years of military-led or military-guided rule.

The government of Khandker Mustaque Ahmed that was installed after the military putsch issued an ordinance in November 1975 granting immunity to the coup leaders and those who carried out the killings, closing the door on the possibility of a trial.

Many of the officers who participated in the putsch were sent abroad on diplomatic assignments given out by the military rulers, presidents Ziaur Rahman and H.M. Ershad.

The Hasina government revoked the indemnity ordinance in 1996 and cleared the way for the trial of the assassins and coup leaders, beginning with the filing of a police complaint identifying 20 people as accused.

On Nov 8, 1998, Dhaka sessions judge Golam Rasul awarded death sentence to 15 of the 20 accused. Four jailed accused, major (retd) Bazlul Huda, Lt Col (sacked) Syed Faruk Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and Lt Col (retd) Mohiuddin Ahmed, appealed in the high court against the trial court verdict.

On Dec 14, 2000, the high court gave a split verdict in the case: Justice Md Ruhul Amin upheld death sentence of 10 accused but Justice A.B.M. Khairul Haque retained death sentence of the 15 accused.

On April 30, 2001, Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim of a third high court bench upheld death sentence of 12 accused and acquitted three.

Of the 12 death convicts, four jailed accused submitted leave to appeal in the Appellate Division in the same year.

Another death convict, lancer A.K.M. Mohiuddin, filed an appeal from jail after he was deported from the US June 18 last year.

Of those who received death sentence, Rashid, Lt Col Shariful Haq Dalim, Lt Col Noor, Risalder Moslemuddin, Lt Col Rashed Chowdhury and Col Majed are absconding.

Absconding accused Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe.