Bangladesh scraps gallantry awards of four fugitive 1975 coup leaders

Dhaka, Jun 6 (PTI) Bangladesh on Sunday scrapped gallantry awards of four convicted ex-military officers who are on run, evading death sentences for assassinating country's founding far Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on August 15, 1975.

" (gallantry) awards of se four self-confessed killers of Far of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and ors have been scrapped," read an official tification.

four sacked officers -- lieutenant colonel Shariiful Haque Dalim, lieutenant colonel, SHMB or Chowdhury, lieutenant AM Rashed Chowdhury and Nayek Subedar (JCO) Moslem Uddin Khan -- are believed to be hiding abroad.

y were awarded with different gallantry awards for ir role in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan but y went rogue in 1975, plotting a military coup which ousted Bangabandhu's post-independence Awami League government.

Bangladesh founder's eldest daughter and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and younger daughter Sheikh Rehana survived putsch as y were on a visit to West Germany at that time.

Twelve sacked military officers were sentenced to death in Bangabandhu's murder trial and five of m have been executed by w, while one died of natural cause during a fugitive stay abroad.

Despite ir trial and conviction in absentia more than a decade ago, names of se four ex-officers remained in 1971 Gallantry Award Recipients' List, which recently drew government's attention.

tification came days after Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said steps were underway to strip m off awards.

Five of convicted killers still remained beyond justice while government could confirm that one of m was living in United States and ar in Canada. Officials said diplomatic and legal efforts were underway to get ir physical custody.

Sheikh Mujib, fondly called "Bangabandhu" or "friend of Bengal" was killed in a predawn raid at his private 32, Dhanmandi house along with his wife, three sons including a 10-year old boy, two daughters' in law and several of presidential aides including his military secretary.

band of coup leaders simultaneously raided houses of two of Bangabandhu's relatives, who were also leaders of n ruling Awami League, and killed m along with several of ir family members including children and pregnant women.

post-August 15 military and pseudo military regimes protected killers under an indemnity law and rewarded several of m with prestigious diplomatic assignments abroad or allowed m to float political parties at home.

returning to power in a landmark 1996 general elections after 21 years in political wilderness, Awami League scrapped indemnity law and initiated a process of delayed trial of perpetrators of killings in 1975.

Six convicts were hanged at Dhaka Central Jail after a protracted legal procedure.

Two of m were brought back home from Thailand and United States where y hid to escape death sentence.

last of six to walk to gallows was ex-military captain MA Majed on April 12, 2020, days after he was forced to return home from India, where he mand to take a secret refuge hiding his identity since 1996.

Dhaka's District and Sessions Judge's Court issued original judgment in 1998 which was endorsed later by High Court and eventually by apex Appellate Division of Supreme Court. PTI AR IND