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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Canada won't deport Noor Chowdhury

Canada has told the government that it will not extradite Noor Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman now living in the north American country.

"Our government has clear policy that we cannot extradite people to that country where there is death sentence," Canadian high commissioner Heather Cruden told reporters after her meeting foreign minister Dipu Moni on Sunday.

"The foreign minister raised the issue and I will again raise the issue with my government," she said.

On Oct 5, the foreign minister wrote to the US and Canadian authorities to hand over the two Bangabandhu killers to Bangladesh residing in those countries.

Dipu Moni sent the letters to her counterparts - secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Canadian foreign affairs minister John Baird.

The Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family were brutally killed in Aug 1975 by some army officials and out of the 12 convicted, five were hanged in 2010, one died, six are absconding.

The death convicts Lt Col (retd) M Rashed Chowdhury is now in the US.

Col (retd) Khandkar Abdur Rashid, lt col (retd) Shariful Haque Dalim, Abdul Mazed and Moslehuddin are absconding while Abdul Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe.

Interpol has issued warrant to arrest them.

The five convicted – Syed Faruque Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, Mohiuddin Ahmed and AKM Mohiuddin – were hanged to death on Jan 28 last year.