US deports 20 fugitives in 5 yrs

US Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2014-03-28 21:14:03.0 BdST Updated: 2014-03-28 21:14:03.0 BdST



The United States has sent back 20 Bangladeshi fugitives hiding in that country in the past five years.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Nicole Navas told bdnews24.com on Thursday that they had been arrested and handed over to the Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies in between Oct 1, 2009 and Mar 19 this year.

Three of them were sent back in 2009, 11 in 2010, followed by four next year, one in 2013, and the last one was on Mar 19 this year.

Navas also said that 720 fugitives from different other nations were also send back to their countries during the same time.

Bangladesh government on Thursday formed a high-powered 10-member taskforce, led by Law Minister Anisul Huq, to bring back fugitives, who have fled abroad, to make them stand trial.

The body will prepare a list of those who fled abroad, identify their current locations, and finalise ways to bring them back.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Deputy Director John Martinez told bdnews24.com that those who were involved in terrorist activities, including political murders, would not be allowed to consider the US a sanctuary.

America has never allowed such criminals, he said.

A death row convict in the Bangabandhu assassination case, MA Rashed Chowdhury, and former Al Badr leader Ashrafuzzaman Khan, who had also been sentenced to death for 1971 war crimes, are currently living in the US.

Nazmul Maksud Murad, accused in many cases including an attempt to murder Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in 1989, was also brought back to Bangladesh on Mar 19.

He was arrested in Atlanta, US, in February, 2012 after Interpol issued a red alert in 2011 following a request from Bangladesh.

After he was brought back, Murad was shown arrested in connection with three cases and sent to prison on Mar 20.

Regarding this, John Martinez expressed gratitude to their law enforcers and said that they had shown efficiency in arresting Murad.

ICE spokeswoman Nicole Navas said they take steps to arrest these fugitives accused in cases over kidnapping, rape, terrorism and political murders after the country they are from hands over a copy of the case details to the US Department of Justice.

She said assistance of Interpol was sought to arrest them.

She added that Murad had sought political asylum in the US as an organiser of the Freedom Party, but his plea had been rejected.

The immigration court of Georgia had ordered his deportation to Bangladesh after Murad’s work permit was cancelled.

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