B'desh forms task force to bring back fugitives hiding abroad

Bangladesh today constituted a high-level task force to bring back fugitives hiding abroad, including India, to bring them to justice.
Several of the fugitives are sought for 1971 war crimes and killing the country's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members in 1975.
"Law minister Anisul Huq will lead the 10-member task force," a cabinet division notification said here.
It said the other members of the task force include the foreign minister, state minister for home, the attorney general, inspector general of police, Directors General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence (NSI) and secretaries of home, law and foreign affairs.

The task force would prepare a list of fugitives and identify their locations abroad "using appropriate sources" and take steps for their extradition while the home ministry would provide secretarial assistance to the high-powered body, according to the notification.
A cabinet division official preferring anonymity said even if any convicted Bangladeshis were found to have obtained nationality of any other country, the task force would devise ways for their return to be exposed to justice.
Among the fugitives, six are ex-army officers who were sentenced to death for the August 15, 1975 coup in which Bangabandhu was killed along with most of his family members. had Dhaka earlier launched a diplomatic campaign, engaging the Interpol, to bring them back.

Officials said two of them were believed to be hiding in India as Bangladesh earlier sought New Delhi's assistance to track them down and extradite them. Former home minister P Chidambaram had said "no effort and resources will be spared to apprehend and hand them over to Bangladesh".