S.H.M.B Noor Chowdhury
Allegiance Pakistan (Before 1971)
 Bangladesh
Service/branch Pakistan Army
 Bangladesh Army
Years of service1967-1996
Rank Lieutenant Colonel (Dismissed)
UnitArmoured Corps
Commands held
Known forAssassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

S.H.M.B Noor Chowdhury is a Bangladesh army officer who was convicted for the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, president of Bangladesh, and for involvement in the murder of four national leaders in the Jail Killing.[1] He is currently a fugitive, hiding in Canada. The Canadian government has refused to extradite him, because he faces the death penalty in Bangladesh.[2][3]

Career

In 1974, Noor was a major of the Bangladesh Army in The First Bengal Lancer unit. A major of the Lancers, Shariful Haque Dalim, had gotten into a scuffle with the sons of Bangladesh Awami League leader Gazi Golam Mostafa. Officers from the Lancer then ransacked the house of Mostafa. This resulted in those officers including Dalim and Noor of losing their commissions in the army.[4] In May or June 1975 Noor and other officers met with Khondakar Mushtaque to talk about the plot to remove Sheikh Mujib from power. The officers wished to remove the secular government of Sheikh Mujib and replace it with an Islamic law under Khondakar Mushtaque.[5]

On 14 August 1975, the army officers met to finalize their plans for the next day. Noor was placed in the team that was to attack the residence of Sheikh Mujib, the President of Bangladesh.[4] Noor along with Major Mohammad Bazlul Huda shot and killed Sheikh Mujib while he was coming down the stairs.[5][6]

The attack on 15 August 1975 killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.[7] After the coup, Noor was posted to the Bangladeshi embassy in Tehran as the second secretary. In 1996 when a Bangladesh Awami League government was voted to power, Noor was recalled to Bangladesh. He refused to comply with the government order and lost his job as a result.[8]

On 3 November 1975 former acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, former Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad, former Finance Minister Muhammad Mansur Ali, and former Minister of Home Affairs Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman were killed by the mutinous officers in Dhaka Central Jail.[9]

Trial

The Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka had sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder of four national leaders of Bangladesh in the 1975 Jail killing case and 11 other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment; three to death.[10][11] On 28 August the Bangladesh High court confirmed his life sentence.[1][12] The Supreme Court of Bangladesh called the jail killing a Criminal conspiracy after confirming the sentences of the accused on 1 December 2015. Majors present in Bangabhaban has asked the jailer at Dhaka Jail to provide the assassins with access to the four leaders.[13]

Extradition

The Canadian government has refused to extradite Noor as Noor has been sentenced to death in Bangladesh. The Canadian government has shown willingness to resolve the issue with Bangladesh through discussions.[14] Canada has reportedly not approved his application for political asylum.[15][16] Noor has proclaimed his innocence in an interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.[17]

CBC coverage

On November 17, 2023, the CBC program The Fifth Estate aired an episode titled "The Assassin Next Door (documentary)". The episode explored the circumstances of the Noor Chowdhury case and included interviews with numerous prominent figures including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Canada Dr. Khalilur Rahman, and other individuals involved in the case.

Chowdhury was said to be living in a condo in Etobicoke and was filmed tending to plants on his balcony but fled when confronted by journalist Mark Kelley outside his residence.[18] The Canadian government including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) refused to comment on the case.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Muslem to die; Farook, Shahriar, Huda, Mohiuddin acquitted". The Daily Star. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Bangladeshi president's alleged assassin, who now lives in Toronto, can't be extradited: diplomat". National Post. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "SC to hear appeal Dec 11". The Daily Star. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Farooq's confession". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Shame darker than the night". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Dhaka to urge Interpol to track down Bangabandhu's killers". The Daily Star. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Convicted killers stay safe abroad". The Daily Star. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Govt to recover money spent on 7 killers". The Daily Star. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "HC hearing of appeals against verdict starts after 4yrs". The Daily Star. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "SC adjourns hearing till today". The Daily Star. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Delivery of judgment on appeals begins". The Daily Star. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "2 more to walk gallows". The Daily Star. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "It was a criminal conspiracy". The Daily Star. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Dhaka, Ottawa to find solution to Noor Chowdhury's extradition". The Daily Star. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Death convicts stay safe abroad". The Daily Star. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Three ex-army men to die". The Daily Star. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Nur not innocent". The Daily Star. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "Why the killer of Bangladesh's first president is free in Canada". The Fifth Estate. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 November 2023 – via YouTube.
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