Editorial, News & commercial office:
55/A, H M Siddique Mansion (Level-7), Purana Paltan, Motijhel C/A, Dhaka-1000. Phone: +8802226640056,
e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed
Despite political debates, differences, and differing viewpoints between the treasury and opposition benches, the nation must stand firmly united to resist the "fascist Awami League," urged Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed in the National Parliament on Tuesday night (September 8).
Speaking during a discussion on a general motion moved under Rule 147 by Dhaka-14 MP Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, in a session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, the Home Minister briefed the House on the state's ongoing efforts to track down, detain, and extradite overseas fugitives. Highlighting recent breakthroughs, he cited the repatriation of murder convict and Interpol Red Notice subject Mohammad Arif Sarkar from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 6, as well as Mobarak Mondal from Qatar on May 27.
Addressing the unresolved Tonu murder case in Cumilla, the minister confirmed that the NCB (National Central Bureau) Dhaka and Interpol have issued Red Notices against fugitives Md. Zahiduzzaman and Md. Shahin Alam to track their global locations, after which formal extradition procedures will be initiated under bilateral and international legal cooperation frameworks.
On the pursuit of fugitive former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, the minister pledged that no leniency would be shown to high-profile absconders. Multiple state agencies are working in unison to verify his official location, probe reports of multiple passports, identify and seize illegally acquired assets at home and abroad, and move extradition requests forward.
Responding to MP Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem's remarks regarding bringing Benazir back from the UAE, the minister explained that legal and diplomatic protocols cannot be bypassed. "One cannot simply travel from one country to another and drag someone back; there is an established legal process. There are Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) mechanisms," he said, noting that Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman raised the matter directly with UAE authorities prior to traveling to New York for the UN General Assembly, securing commitments that UAE authorities will act in accordance with legal procedures. Emphasizing due process, the minister cautioned against hasty trials: "We cannot simply tie someone up and hang them. Even the most heinous criminal must face judicial due process... The hands of the law are long, and the judicial process is equally long. We must remain patient, respect the law, and trust judicial procedures."
Regarding newly passed legislation against enforced disappearances, Salahuddin Ahmed stated that unlike previous ordinances, the updated law provides victims direct access to court remedies and carries a maximum penalty of capital punishment, fulfilling key demands of the July uprising to permanently expunge enforced disappearances from Bangladesh.
Concluding his remarks, the Home Minister directly addressed the ongoing activities of Awami League cadres: "Treasury bench or opposition, we must share a single pledge and commitment. We will argue here, debate, disagree, and express diverse views. But wherever the question of the fascist Awami League arises, we are all united to resist it. Transforming the solid unity forged during the July–August uprising into our enduring strength, we will hold high the banner of democracy."
