The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mamunur Rasid

The new Awami League government would ask for handover of the killer fugitives when Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee visits Dhaka in the middle of this month.

Ohidul Islam, Shahid Ahmed and Zakir Hussain turned out to be fugitives trying to avoid the death sentence handed down by a country's court for their involvement in several murder cases, including that of an Awami League parliamentarian Ahsanullah Master.

They changed localities frequently to remove any doubt among the local residents.

Prime accused Nurul Islam alias Dipu who fled to Belgium after being sentenced to death came to Kolkata last November and tried to get Indian documents. CID's special operations group arrested all four on Sunday night.

Dipu was also trying to get Indian citizenship. In November, Dipu came back to Kolkata via the India-Nepal border. His wife and children joined him here. He wanted to get Indian citizenship.

Ahsanullah Master, the Awami League MP, was shot dead in broad daylight during a conference of the party's students' wing in Tungi, in May 2004. Dipu, his brother Ohidul alias Tipu and Shahid alias Majnu, were found guilty by a court and sentenced to life in the same case. Zakir Hussain alias Rupak was also convicted in two murder cases.

In 2005, Rupak crossed the border and fled to Bangalore. He stayed there for some time and then returned to Bangladesh when the army crackdown was on there. Rupak claimed he was once nabbed by the army but managed to escape and fled to Kolkata and started staying in hotels using different names. In the meantime, Dipu, Tipu, Majnu and two others crossed the border at Gede. "The remaining two fled to Belgium and are still there, source said.

Tipu and Majnu first stayed in hotels around New Market before shifting to Tegharia. About three months ago, they rented a three-room flat near the Hindustan crossing in Garia. Zakir, too, stays in the same locality. The home department of India will get in touch with the Bangladesh Home Ministry to hand them back to Bangladesh.