Trial of Major Mozzaffar, killer of Ziaur Rahman, will be completed under military law: Home Minister

The minister said these things while briefing journalists after a meeting and discussion with senior BGB officers at the Ashraf Hall of the BGB headquarters in Pilkhana this afternoon.

Regarding the recent arrest and trial process of Major (Retd.) Mozzaffar Hossain, a key convicted fugitive in the murder case of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, the minister said that at that time, the main trial for this murder was completed through a military court and there were specific findings. After arresting this accused, who had been hiding under a pseudonym in a neighboring country for a long time, based on specific intelligence information, he has been handed over to the army for trial under the current military law (Military Act). This trial process will be completed lawfully through the formation of a General Court Martial. He said there is no legal provision to try or prosecute a person separately under two different laws—civil law and martial law—for the same offense. Therefore, the trial of this case will be completed under military law.
 
Regarding the ongoing instability on the Myanmar border, the minister said there is an intense internal armed conflict between Myanmar's government forces and various rebel groups, including the Arakan Army, as well as RSO and ARSA, inside Myanmar. Due to its geographical location, the Bangladesh border is facing a kind of crisis amidst this tripartite conflict. He said the government has maintained round-the-clock monitoring to prevent stray bullets and drug infiltration from across the border. He noted that as the nature of border management with India and the strategic challenges of the Myanmar border are completely different, making the Myanmar border impenetrable is the most urgent priority at this moment.

Denying allegations of push-ins across the border, Salahuddin Ahmed clearly stated that no one has been given any opportunity for illegal push-ins. Due to the combined vigilance of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the local population, we have successfully resisted every push-in. The minister said that the West Bengal government might carry out such propaganda to implement their own political agenda, which is not related to Bangladesh's internal affairs. He said Bangladesh always holds formal discussions with the central government of India. He further said that if a specific list supporting the presence of legitimate Bangladeshi citizens is sent through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs according to the rules, the Bangladesh government will take steps to bring them back after verifying their nationality through the proper legal process. No form of illegal infiltration beyond this will be tolerated.

The minister informed that effective initiatives will be taken from the Ministry of Home Affairs to quickly resolve various pending issues of the BGB, including increasing the manpower of the BGB, procuring modern equipment and vehicles, constructing new administrative buildings, and recruiting nurses and doctors to improve the medical services of the BGB hospital.