Whether the legal initiatives on behalf of Ziaul Haque ultimately succeed remains to be seen. Yet the very existence of such efforts touches on the credibility of Bangladesh’s judicial verdicts in terrorism prosecutions, the integrity of the country’s international counterterrorism cooperation, and the confidence that Bangladesh’s allies place in its commitment to combating violent extremism.
For Washington, the issue is likely to be viewed not merely through the prism of Dhaka’s internal legal processes but also as a measure of whether a key regional partner remains committed to the principles that have underpinned global counterterrorism efforts since the attacks of September 11, 2001.
While the US State Department continues to offer a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Bangladeshi fugitive Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque, a convicted conspirator in the 2015 murder of American citizen Avijit Roy, influential retired military officers in Bangladesh are reportedly working to have his convictions suspended, pending criminal cases withdrawn, and ultimately to restore him to military service. If successful, the campaign would raise uncomfortable questions about Dhaka’s commitment to counterterrorism cooperation with Washington and about the future of one of America’s most prominent terrorism cases in South Asia.
On February 26, 2015, Avijit Roy and his wife, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, both Bangladesh-born US citizens, were visiting Dhaka to attend a book fair when they were attacked by assailants armed with machetes. Two related groups claimed responsibility for the attack. Ansarullah Bangla Team,1 an Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist organization based in Bangladesh, claimed responsibility shortly after the incident.
Roy was killed, while Ahmed survived with critical wounds. A total of six individuals were charged, tried, and convicted in Bangladesh. Two of the convicted conspirators, Syed Ziaul Haque (aka Major Zia) and Akram Hussain, were tried in absentia and remain at large.
According to the Jamestown Foundation, during various investigations, Bangladeshi police uncovered information regarding Ziaul Haque’s involvement in numerous attacks and murders that took place between January 2013 and April 2016. Ziaul Haque had evaded arrest after a failed coup plot in 2011 and remained underground for several years, and his name resurfaced as the chief of the “military wing” of Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. The group was responsible for a number of violent attacks against secular writers, intellectuals, bloggers, gay rights activists, and free speech advocates.
The most disturbing development recently reported in local media is that former military officers have launched a coordinated effort to secure legal relief for Ziaul Haque.
The initiative, led by members of the Armed Forces Retired Officers Welfare Association (RAWA), includes appeals to government ministries, applications seeking suspension of death sentences, and efforts to withdraw pending criminal cases. According to documents and statements from RAWA leaders, the organization has been working with relevant government authorities to create a legal pathway that could eventually allow Ziaul Haque to return to the country, challenge his convictions, and seek reinstatement in military service.
As part of the initiative, applications have been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code, seeking suspension of the death sentences imposed in three separate murder cases, as well as separate applications requesting that the remaining criminal cases be reviewed by the government’s Political Cases Review Committee. The Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor has already recommended removing Ziaul Haque’s name from the nine pending cases.
Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed confirmed that RAWA representatives had met him and that he advised them to consult the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
An application was also submitted to the Inspector General of Police requesting withdrawal of the Tk 2 million reward for Ziaul Haque’s arrest.
Whether the legal initiatives on behalf of Ziaul Haque ultimately succeed remains to be seen. Yet the very existence of such efforts touches on the credibility of Bangladesh’s judicial verdicts in terrorism prosecutions, the integrity of the country’s international counterterrorism cooperation, and the confidence that Bangladesh’s allies place in its commitment to combating violent extremism.
For Washington, the issue is likely to be viewed not merely through the prism of Dhaka’s internal legal processes but also as a measure of whether a key regional partner remains committed to the principles that have underpinned global counterterrorism efforts since the attacks of September 11, 2001.
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