Murder of Commodore Ghulam Rabbani
Murder of Commodore Ghulam Rabbani refers to the "sensational" murder of Commodore Ghulam Rabbani, an aide-de-camp to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Chittagong in 2004.[1][2][3] He was a vital witness to the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Jail Killing cases.[4] He served as the chairperson of the Chittagong Port Authority.[5]
Background
[edit]Rabbani was an aide-de-camp to the founding President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[5] He was the director general of the Department of Shipping.[5] He was an eyewitness in the murder case of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was killed in the 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état.[5] He was also a witness of the Jail Killing in which four senior leaders of the Awami League were killed.[5]
In 1999, Rabbani was the chairman of Chittagong Port Authority.[6]
Rabbani was appointed the managing director of the Korean Export Processing Zone, sister concern of Korean Youngone Corporation, in Chittagong.[5] He had terminated two employees of the Korean Export Processing Zone and began a corruption investigation against them.[5]
Incident
[edit]Rabbani was travelling to Korean Export Processing Zone on a microbus on 11 April 2004 when he was shot after the bus was intercepted by six to seven people.[5] They also robbed his colleagues in the bus.[5] The site engineer of the Korean Export Processing Zone, AKM Emtajul Islam, filed an attempted murder case.[5] Rabbani died in Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok 13 days later.[5] The attempted murder case was then turned into a murder case.[5]
Trial
[edit]Judge M Hasan Imam of Chittagong Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced Abdul Malik Sohel, Mohammad Hashim, and Mohammad Selim to life imprisonment in the murder case on 7 April 2005.[5] Abu Naser Chowdhury, former general manager of Korean Export Processing Zone, and Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, former chief security officer of Korean Export Processing Zone, were sentenced to five years imprisonment.[5] Judge M Hasan Imam was critical of Faruk Ahmed, assistant commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, who was the investigation officer for an improper investigation and ordered a copy of the investigation to be sent to the Inspector General of Police for action against the police officer.[5] Some of the accused were connected to Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.[7]
Mohammad Hashim was acquitted by the High Court Division in 2008 while the other accused had secured bail in 2005.[5] Abu Naser Chowdhury, Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, and Mohammad Selim were given life term in 2014 by the High Court Division which also ordered a review of the acquittal of Saiful Islam by the lower court.[8][9] The High Court Division acquitted Abdul Malik Sohel and Mohammad Hashim.[10]
Abu Naser Chowdhury and Mohammad Selim surrendered to the court and were sent to jail by Judge Muhithul Haque Enam of the Chittagong Speedy Trial Tribunal in December 2016.[4] In 2020, former High Court Division judge Nazrul Islam Chowdhury filed a bail application for Abu Naser Chowdhury on health grounds to the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.[10] The chief justice, in a four-member bench, ordered his treatment at a government hospital and return to prison after treatment but denied his bail application.[10][11]
Saiful Islam was found innocent in the first trial was found guilty in a second trial.[8] Judge Md Robiul Alam of the Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment on 22 September 2023.[8][12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rabbani Murder". The Daily Star. 22 November 2004. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব (2023-09-21). "কমডোর গোলাম রব্বানী হত্যা : খালাস পাওয়া বিলাই সাইফুলের যাবজ্জীবন". dhakapost.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "খালাস পেয়েও ধরা খেল কমোডর রাব্বানীর খুনি 'বিলাই সাইফুল'". Alokito Chattogram. 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ a b "Commodore Rabbani murder: 2 convicts sent to jail on surrender". The Daily Star. 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Sarkar, Ashutosh (2013-09-12). "HC to deliver verdict soon". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ IMO News. International Maritime Organization. 1999. p. 16.
- ^ প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব (2014-01-20). "আওয়ামী লীগে এলে তিন খুন মাফ?". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ a b c "Ghulam Rabbani killing: Acquitted accused gets life term following retrial". The Daily Star. 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ "2 convicts in Rabbani murder case sent to jail after surrender". Daily Sun. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ a b c "SC refuses bail to convicted killer of Mujib murder witness". New Age. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ Report, Star Online (2020-11-16). "Commodore Ghulam Rabbani murder: SC chamber judge denies bail to Abu Naser". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ "Acquitted accused gets life term following retrial". The Daily Star. 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2024-09-17.