Mohiuddin to be deported back to Bangladesh anytime
Sunday, 17 June 2007
Bangabandhu's killer Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Mohiuddin Ahmed may be deported back to Bangladesh anytime from the United States (US) after the rejection of his latest appeal by a district court in Los Angeles.
"We're in constant touch with our Consular wing in Washington Embassy about his possible deportation, but we are not yet officially informed of the exact timeframe of his boarding the plane," Foreign Secretary-in-charge Touhid Hossain told UNB Saturday evening.
He, however, said two escorts who will accompany Mohiuddin already collected visa from Bangladesh mission in Washington Thursday.
Deportees are normally escorted directly to their country of origin under a US law. The escorts will hand over Mohiuddin to Bangladesh police at the airport and return by the same airplane.
"But it's difficult to tell you exact date and time of his return until he boards the plane," the foreign secretary said.
Sources in Dhaka and Washington said if the US authorities finally decided to deport him following Thursday's court orders, he may be flown back to Dhaka by using two routes-either Bangkok or Taipei.
If Mohiuddin is sent by Thai airways today (Sunday), he will arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. Or if he is sent by another airliner using the Taipei route, he may arrive in the city Tuesday.
Mohiuddin (60) was a Major at the time of August 15, 1975 killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most members of his family. He was tried in absentia and sentenced to death in 1998.
His last legal recourse ended Thursday with a US district court in Los Angeles having said that it did not have jurisdiction over his removal order to Bangladesh.
Mohiuddin, while serving as a Bangladeshi diplomat to a Middle-eastern country, entered the US on a visitor's visa in 1996. Since then, he has fought a long legal battle to stay in the USA.
"We're in constant touch with our Consular wing in Washington Embassy about his possible deportation, but we are not yet officially informed of the exact timeframe of his boarding the plane," Foreign Secretary-in-charge Touhid Hossain told UNB Saturday evening.
He, however, said two escorts who will accompany Mohiuddin already collected visa from Bangladesh mission in Washington Thursday.
Deportees are normally escorted directly to their country of origin under a US law. The escorts will hand over Mohiuddin to Bangladesh police at the airport and return by the same airplane.
"But it's difficult to tell you exact date and time of his return until he boards the plane," the foreign secretary said.
Sources in Dhaka and Washington said if the US authorities finally decided to deport him following Thursday's court orders, he may be flown back to Dhaka by using two routes-either Bangkok or Taipei.
If Mohiuddin is sent by Thai airways today (Sunday), he will arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. Or if he is sent by another airliner using the Taipei route, he may arrive in the city Tuesday.
Mohiuddin (60) was a Major at the time of August 15, 1975 killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most members of his family. He was tried in absentia and sentenced to death in 1998.
His last legal recourse ended Thursday with a US district court in Los Angeles having said that it did not have jurisdiction over his removal order to Bangladesh.
Mohiuddin, while serving as a Bangladeshi diplomat to a Middle-eastern country, entered the US on a visitor's visa in 1996. Since then, he has fought a long legal battle to stay in the USA.