Wed 28 Mar 2007
Convict of the 15th August Killing AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed’s today’s flight back to Bangladesh is held for a week by Homeland security chief Michael Chertoff.
Apparently the story was initially picked up southern California Public Radio, Mohiuddin Ahmed was interviewed from detention and several follow up stories were broadcast in different public radio systems. The message that went out was that Mohiuddin would be immediately executed once he returns to Dhaka. As a result, this case turned quite high profile, California Senators Feinstein and Boxer, Governor Schwarzenegger, Michael Chertoff, the secretary of Homeland security and possibly US president got involved.
Looks like our foreign ministry could have done a better job.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:34 am
What an outrage this is !! These US administration is again shwoing their true face. On one hand they are calling for justice and democracy and on the other hand, they are sheltering a convicted killer because they deemed that the judicial system in Bangladesh is not fair. What a shame. The lobbyists of Bangladesh, namely the one who got the global leadership award, yes, I am talking about Joy. I think he can show some real leadership here now and update using his blog about what is going on and do some serious lobbying. Also egg on the faces of those conspiracy theorists who said capturing Mohiuddin was a part of a deal between AL and the US. Its time for these conspiracy theorists to shut up once and for all.
The report below shows a heinous attempt to save this killer.
L.A. man fights deportation to Bangladesh
He faces execution for his role in the South Asian country’s 1975 military coup.
By Ashley Surdin, Times Staff Writer
March 28, 2007
A Venice man ordered to return to Bangladesh to face execution for his role in a 1975 military coup is waging an eleventh-hour battle to avoid deportation.
Mohiuddin A.K.M. Ahmed, 60, has been living in Los Angeles for the last 10 years and working as a translator for a telephone company.
He was tried in absentia in Bangladesh in 1996, convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging for taking part in the coup, which led to the killings of the country’s leader and most of his family.
Ahmed, then an army major, says that although he manned a roadblock a mile from President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s home, he thought the leader would be arrested peacefully.
“Myself and others believed that the orders we received were lawful,” Ahmed said. “At no time was I, or my troops, involved in any violence.”
But Rahman and seven family members, including his wife and 10-year-old son, were killed, and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ahmed had participated in terrorist activity.
“Even his own account of his actions established that he assisted or otherwise participated in the persecution of persons on account of their political opinion,” a three-judge panel of the federal court said last month.
Ahmed’s family and lawyer want him deported to another country where he could seek political asylum and fight his conviction. His lawyer, Joseph Sandoval, said Ahmed cannot appeal in Bangladesh because he was not in the country during his trial.
“Essentially, they want to take him from the plane to the gallows,” Sandoval said. “We think that is fundamentally unfair.” He added that his client is not the “heinous person” the U.S. and Bangladesh governments have made him out to be.
But time is running out. Ahmed was to have left the country Monday night, but Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) called Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s office and requested a delay.
“Amnesty International and our State Department has questioned the integrity of the Bangladeshi judicial system,” said Tara Setmayer, a spokeswoman for Rohrabacher.
“And because of that, Dana felt as though there would be no harm in trying to buy some time for his legal counsel to find a country” where he would not be put to death.
“Given the circumstances, he said he’d be willing to place a phone call or two to buy some time and figure things out,” she said.
On Tuesday, an immigration enforcement spokeswoman said the deportation order remains in force. The spokeswoman refused to say when Ahmed, who is being held at the Terminal Island detention center in San Pedro, would be forced to leave.
“Right now, the family is just trying to keep it together, answer questions and keep their hopes up,” family friend Steve Paskay said. “It’s not over yet.”
The 1975 coup in Bangladesh was spawned by a group of right-wing, pro-Pakistan army officers in response to increasing authoritarianism under left-leaning President Rahman, according to Sam Zarifi, Asian research director for New York-based Human Rights Watch. It was known as the Majors’ Coup. There have been allegations that it was supported by the United States.
After the coup, a period of military rule began and the government absolved participants of wrongdoing. Ahmed served as a diplomat in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other locations until 1996, when the assassinated president’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, came to power.
In an interview with The Times in December 2000, Hasina spoke of wanting to bring her father’s killers, including Ahmed, to justice.
“One of the saddest chapters in our history was the brutal killing of my father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and several family members,” Hasina said.
“Three of the convicted killers now live in the United States. I requested the president’s assistance in expeditious finalization of the extradition treaty.”
By the time his trial started, Ahmed was already in the United States and had filed a request for political asylum under the provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
But after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, immigration law changed and Ahmed, accused of taking part in killing a head of state, was no longer entitled to the convention’s protections, the family said.
ashley.surdin@latimes.com
March 28th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Also I think the Bangladeshi-American leaders can take a leading role in voicing their concerns. Hope BAFI et al take this up.
March 28th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
OUTRAGEOUS !!!!
The letter his family has been circulating to defend him is full of lies, lies and more lies.
How did the US side got sold on this is beyond me!
PREPOSTEROUS!!!
March 28th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
This development has very broad implications. If the US govt takes the position that the judicial system in BD is not fair or cannot be trusted, it impacts not just this particular case, but all subsequent developments (eg future prosecution of Tareq Rahman, SaQa Chy etc). All would have grounds to claim political assylum in the US (and pretty much anywhere else based on this argument).
Would the CTG like to make a formal statemand and take a stand to prevent this scenario emerging?
March 28th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
It will be interesting to see what “third countries” turn up as options. That will be a reminder of the geo-political equations both to do with 1975 and how they stack up now.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Mohiuddin claims now that he was not on the premises the night of the brutal murder, the truth is he was not only there, he was right there next to Bajlul Huda, the first two Mujib encountered as he stormed downstairs to check what was going on.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
…And shall we conveniently forget that Pres Zia protected these criminals by awarding diplomatic positions overseas, with all the privilege and immunities that came with the jobs? Who had paid for the luxurious lives that had lived – the people of Bangladesh – the tax payers!
They killed the father of the nation so they qualified to represent Bangladesh to the rest of the world, WOW!
Zia also removed (read killed) many army personnel who could expose the ones behind the coup of Aug 15 (many of who were freedom fighters) in the name of stabilizing the army.
These people should have been dealt with long time ago.
March 29th, 2007 at 4:59 am
Funny explanation about Judiciary.I am agreed with Zafa 100%
But Positive trend is that at least the
initiative has been started. That’s enough
for now
March 29th, 2007 at 7:48 am
For those of you who do not realise the brutality of what happened in August 15th, 1975, I recommend reading the verdict of the trial which is listed in
http://www.albd.org/autoalbd/images/stories/compile/2005/bmc/bmc_verdict.pdf
I haven’t finished reading the whole 77 page report but have read 33 pages of it in trying to find Mohiuddin’s role in it. Its not a pleasant read. Warning: it has graphic details of the killings. The brutality with which the whole family was murdered was mindboggling. Mohuiddin’s name is all over the verdict as one of the central figure (page 27 - 33). He must be brought to justice. I believe people who are passionately feeling about justice to be done, at least a few of you should read the piece and take initiative and translate the portions which implicates Mohiuddin. There needs to be a public outcry in the US media about it and this translation would come very handy. Any volunteer?
March 29th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
YES.
Witness after witness – some of who were under direct command of AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed in First Bengal Lancer Regiment and were asked to go on a “mission” on the night of August 15 1975 - testified in court that Mohiuddin was very much in the action and went inside the Mujib residence with a stengun in his hand.
He claims he was only blocking the road a mile away from the residence when the shootings happened. But witnesses said he dropped a few of his men on the road to watch and guard, and he himself went inside the residence along with Bajlul Huda, Faruk, Nur et al.
Later he went to the radio station along with the rest of the team when Dalim made the announcement of Mujib’s assassination. Then they went to GonoBhaban and met with Khondokar Moshtak where Mushtak already claimed presidency. At that time a few people even heard them boasting about the killings.
Mohiudding with his family left for Libiya on Nov 2, night before the Jail Hottya. Zia got him job in foreign service after he became president in 1976.
March 29th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
As far as i knew, sending people abroad was a tactic to get them out of your hair. To what extent did Pres/Gen Zia *fear* these people?
If all the people guilty of killing the family are tried and punished fairly, would the issue ‘go away’ and cease to be a cause of bitterness? I’m not sure it would, and besides what about the question of ‘Given that the regime of the time was out of control and unable to secure basic food rights for the people, what should have been done to restrain its excesses?’
Bangladesh can’t afford to be a country where we habitually kill its leaders. But again and again desperate events, tyrants, injured prides and personal ambitions conspire to make it so.
Given the very… political nature of the AL website contents and capital sentence involved, and the bigger politics around it, its no suprise that some part of the US regime would flag ‘asylum’ and ‘unfair trial’ issues. Its probably not the same part of the regime’s interests that Patricia Butenis is reponsible for promoting.
March 29th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
not just killing the leaders. this was killing the leader’s entire family.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
I don’t mean to change the topic here, but as people interested in human rights, shouldn’t the readers of this blog also be discussing the ethics of the death penalty as well?
I am a big proponent of upholding the rule of law, justice, etc. However, in this case of Mohiuddin (as in many others, such as Bangla Bhai’s) the end result of demanding justice is basically the same as demanding the death of another human being. The realization that I get satisfaction knowing justice taking place - when that justice involves people (even horrid people) - is kind of stomach turning.
At what does my (our) satisfaction at justice become satisfaction at retribution against those that did us wrong?
March 29th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Correction:
The realization that I get satisfaction knowing justice taking place - when that justice involves people (even horrid people) “dying” - is kind of stomach turning.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Good point.
I have disclosed my uncomfortable feelings about death penalty in a separate thread.
I would go for life behind bars.
March 30th, 2007 at 5:45 am
Re: PLEA TO STOP MY FATHER’S DEPORTATIONDear Sir / Madam, I’m pleading to stop the deportation proceedings of my dear father Mohiuddin AKMAhmed (60) who is a citizen and national of Bangladesh, currently living in Los Angeles. He has been in Los Angeles for over 10 years with my mother Husneara (Hena) and mysister Sabrina. I myself moved in the US in 1991, for higher education. My father was a young Major serving in the Bangladeshi Army when, on a night inAugust of 1975, a coup d’etat occurred. The night of the Coup, my father was given whathe considered to be lawful orders from superior officers to take a position at a roadblock. He understood that the coup was to be peaceful, and that it was authorized through themilitary chain of command. The next morning my father, along with the rest ofBangladesh, learned that during the coup, the then-dictator Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and some family members had been killed in the action notwithstanding its peacefulintentions to restore Democracy to Bangladesh. After the coup, the country did in factshift to a democratic government and democracy has been part of Bangladesh since, except for brief subsequent coups and political assassinations. Even the USGovernment, which never officially acknowledged Bangladesh before, immediatelyestablished a diplomatic relationship with the post-coup new government. Some time after the coup, those involved were absolved of any wrongdoing by theGovernment of Bangladesh, and many members of the military were promoted in rank orjoined the diplomatic corps. In fact, the Bangladeshi government assigned my father to be posted overseas as part of the diplomatic corp and he traveled extensively, stationingin various countries such as Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Thailand and others.Throughout those 21 years, he honored his country as a diplomat with an exemplary conduct and extreme dignity. He was Deputy Ambassador of Bangladesh in SaudiArabia during the Gulf War, and was Ambassador to Iraq in 1996. In 1996, in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the dictator killed in 1975 cameto power and promised “justice” [revenge] against anybody who was involved in the coupof ’75, regardless of their actual involvement, and regardless of the constitution which prohibited punishment against members in the military present during the ’75 coup.However, a double standard is apparent here as some high-ranking officials involved inthe ‘75 coup that are part of Sheikh Hasina’s political party, are still living in freedom in Bangladesh.
My father, along with several other men accused of the murder, was tried in absentia in1996. At that time, he was lawfully present in the United States, where he applied forpolitical asylum under the United Nations Torture Convention. The reason was that his life and the safety of our family were in danger, given the unstable political situation backhome. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina dismissed all the judges assigned to the case of the’75 coup, and replaced them with her own de facto of a kangaroo court, which then sentenced my father to be hanged.My father has since followed the bureaucratic path toward political asylum under the Immigration laws, and under the United Nations Convention. Everything seemed to beproceeding well until 9/11. After that date, with the changes in laws and the creation ofHomeland Security, anybody involved in the killing of a head-of-state were deemed terrorists and thus excluded from the protection granted by the Immigration laws and theTorture Convention. From the very moment he was labeled “terrorist” by the then-presiding immigration judge for his case, everything became very difficult and even his prior lawyer abandoned him after hearing the label “terrorist”. The judge assigned to hiscase chose to follow the guidelines instead of looking at the uniqueness of my father’scase. Clearly he is a scapegoat in a much larger political game in both the US and inBangladesh. Sheikh Hasina fanned the flames by calling him a “terrorist”, knowing howmuch the American government dreads this term, in attempts to get him extradited and finally hang him. The US courts show no further interest in my father’s case and theAmerican government has no problems in sending someone back to a country wherethere is torture and the death penalty. My father has no one to help him. He fought for freedom and democracy in his country and he was considered a hero until the politicalwinds changed and he was then labeled a terrorist. PLEASE, help me in stopping the deportation proceedings. Both of my parents areeconomically independent and have two adult children, myself and my sister Sabrina,who would assist them, if needed. Both my sister and I will pledge our financial support for my parents so that they will never be a burden on this country. My parents are bothwell educated, hard working and speak several languages. My sister and I intend to stayhere in the US, but, if necessary, my parents may need to be hosted in another country where there is no torture or death penalty, as you know very well exists in Bangladesh.Please show the world that the US is a fine country where human rights are still respected and where torture and the death penalty are NOT accepted. As you know,America is in a frenzy about controlling terrorism and often oversteps or breaks the lawto label someone a terrorist who is not wanted in the country. My father is a victim of this over-reaction. He was just a young major, following what by all accounts were lawfulorders at that time, miles away from where the killings took place. For 21 years heserved his country as a diplomat and all was fine until an opposition party came to power.My father has been an exemplary citizen for the last 11 years in America; all dedicated to family and work. He is an honest person and does not have any political affiliations.
He could have created a media buzz but he never did that because he’s innocent andhas all the dignity of the innocents. His current detention does not fit with his character and is a deep and painful insult tohim.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Further comments are posted on the following thread
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/03/29/akm-mohiuddins-defense/
March 31st, 2007 at 2:21 am
[...] the blog of the Bangladeshi human rights organization, has coverage here and here. They also have contact information for Dana Rohrabacher for those who want to write and [...]