Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated Bangladesh’s call urging Canada to return convict Noor Chowdhury, the man who shot Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dead on August 15, 1975, as outgoing Canadian High Commissioner (ambassador) Benoit-Pierre Laramee made a farewell call on her.
“The prime minister sought (Noor Chowdhury’s) extradition,” PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim told a media briefing after the call-on at the prime minister’s office in Dhaka.
He said the envoy in reply said he would convey Bangladesh’s concern to the Canadian authorities.
Chowdhury fled Bangladesh as Awami League returned to power in 1996 general elections and initiated the process to expose him to trial for the August 15, 1975 carnage.
He eventually took refuge in Canada to get the protection of their ‘pre-removal risk assessment’ law.
The press secretary said the issue of next election also came up in their discussion as they exchanged views on holding an inclusive and transparent general election.
Sheikh Hasina said her party has played the pioneering role in restoring democratic rights of the people.
There was no transparent system to hold free and fair election from 1975 to 1990, she said, adding, “We have introduced the transparent ballot box and voters’ list with photographs”.
Ahead of last general election, she said, her government and party frantically tried to ensure Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s participation in the election under an all-party interim government.
“We had (even) proposed to BNP to give any ministry in the interim government...but BNP was rigid to foil the election,” she said.
The premier highlighted her government’s constant endeavour to contain terrorism saying the government was spearheading an anti-militancy campaign taking onboard people of every profession, group, religious leaders, teachers and other sections of the society.
The Canadian envoy praised the people of Bangladesh for their love for mother language, history and culture and laid importance on preserving and protecting the mother language.
The envoy recalled that Canada was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after 1971 independence and relations between the two countries grew steadily and assured continued support for Bangladesh’s development.
The envoy appreciated constant success of Bangladesh in socioeconomic areas and successful holding of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Dhaka this year.
He hoped that Bangladesh in next two years would become a middle income country.