Fugitives should return to country and face trial: Minister Rabiul Alam

MUNSHIGANJ, Nov 9: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said those who fled the country following the mass uprising should have stayed and faced trial instead of leaving the country.

“The trials for the misdeeds, corruption, misrule, mass killings and abuse of power over the past 17 years have begun. Those who fled in the face of the mass uprising should have remained in the country and faced the law,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after laying the foundation stone of the Kunderbazar Bridge and attending an anti-terrorism rally against planned acts of violence across the country on Sunday afternoon.

He said those responsible for various crimes and misdeeds over the past 17 years were now facing trial. Verdicts had already been delivered in several cases, while some allegations remained under trial, he added.

“No one is above the law. The law wants those who fled amid the movement and are now identified as fugitives or wanted accused to return to the country,” he said.

He added that nobody had barred them from returning.

“They should have stayed in the country and faced the trials. If they return, the government and the judiciary will implement the court verdicts, as is the normal procedure,” he said.

The rally was organised by Tongibari Upazila BNP and its affiliated organisations, with upazila BNP President Ali Asgar Ripon Mallick in the chair.

Among others, Munshiganj-2 MP Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, Munshiganj-3 MP Md Kamruzzaman Ratan, Munshiganj-1 MP Sheikh Md Abdullah and reserved-seat MP Momtaz Alo attended the programme as special guests.

Earlier, the minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated the piling and construction work of the long-awaited 151-metre Kunderbazar Bridge in the Kunderbazar area of Tongibari Upazila.

Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Syeda Nurmahal Ashrafi and Superintendent of Police Md Menhazul Alam, PPM, were also present.

Local residents said the bridge would ease long-standing travel difficulties for people in Sirajdikhan and Tongibari upazilas and significantly improve road connectivity between the two areas.

Once completed, the bridge is expected to improve communication for residents of Tongibari, Louhajang, Sreenagar, Sirajdikhan and surrounding areas. It will also make travel to Dhaka and Munshiganj District headquarters easier and less time-consuming.

The bridge is expected to facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce, boost trade and business, and improve access to emergency medical care, education and other essential services.

Its construction is also expected to open up new opportunities for socioeconomic development, employment generation and an improved standard of living in the region.