Bangladesh Police has requested the Interpol once again to issue red notice upon BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in connection with August 21 grenade attack that left 24 people dead in an Awami League rally in 2004.
Tarique Rahman, who has been sentenced to life-term imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack case, is also wanted in a money laundering case.
Police are yet to make any headway in tracking down the 16 absconding convicts since the verdict was pronounced two years ago. Four of the convicts are on the Interpol's red notice list.
The four against whom the Interpol had issued red notices were identified as militant leader Maulana Md Tajuddin Mia, former political adviser to the prime minister Haris Chowdhury, Ratul Ahmed Babu and owner of Hanif Paribahan transport group Mohammad Hanif. The notices are still effective.
However, two convicts DIG Khan Sayeed Hasan and deputy commissioner Obaidur Rahman have recently surrendered before court.
According to police HQ the red notice against Tarique was issued on April
13 in 2015 before being revoked a year later on January 26. Similarly, the red notice against Kaikobad was issued on November 12 in 2015 and withdrawn on May 4 in 2018.
Police do not have any clear information on the whereabouts of the fugitives. But officials believe Tajuddin is currently in South Africa or Pakistan, Haris in Malaysia or London, Kaikobad in the Middle East, Hanif in India or Malaysia, former army officials ATM Amin and Saiful Joarder in the US and Canada, respectively, Ratul in South Africa, and Anisul Mursalin alias Mursalin and Mohibul Muktakin are in India's Tihar Jail.
Khaleda Zia's son Tarique has been living in the UK for a decade. But talks of extraditing him to Bangladesh by the government are yet to yield any result.
The other 10 fugitives against whom the police will request the Interpol to issue red notices are - retired Lt Col Saiful Islam Joardar, former director of DGFI retired Maj Gen ATM Amin Ahmed, Md Iqbal, Mohibul Muktakin, Anisul Morsalin, Mohammed Khalil, Maulana Liton alias Delwar Hossain alias Zobayer, Jahangir Alam Badar, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman and Mufti Abdul Hai.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, then the opposition leader, was addressing the rally at that time. Many of the injured suffered permanent physical deformities as they were maimed. Hasina suffered hearing loss and was under treatment at home and abroad for many years.
Some 30 others, including Tarique, were added to the list of accused following wider investigations after the Awami League came to power in 2009. A total 52 suspects, including police officers, were implicated in the case.
The number had whittled down to 49 after three other accused, former minister and Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and militant leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan and Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul were hanged after convictions in other cases.
A total of 24 people were killed and many others injured when a series of grenades ripped through the meeting venue of Awami League, then in opposition, on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004.
