Exclusive Audio Interview: Nur Chowdhury
Nur Chowdhury
Click below link to listen audio interview:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=1822304026
PART ONE
Nur Chowdhury – Feature Interview
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the founder of Bangladesh. He led the fight for independence from Pakistan. And he became the country’s first President. Then, four years into his rule, a group of soldiers stormed the Presidential palace and killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family. The man who is accused of firing the shot that killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is Nur Chowdhury. He has since been convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. And he has been living in Canada for the last 15 years.
The Government of Bangladesh wants him handed over. And next month, Sheikh Hasina — the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh and one of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s surviving daughters — is scheduled to visit Canada and make that request again.
Nur Chowdhury has been trying to get refugee protection in Canada. He is currently living in Toronto under a deportation order.
Nur Chowdhury – Lawyer
Barbara Jackman is his lawyer. The interview was recorded last week.
We requested an interview with a representative of the federal government.The Department of Public Safety issued a statement saying, “A decision of the Supreme Court prevents us from deporting individuals to situations where they would face the death penalty, even if they are violent foreign criminals. Mr. Chowdhury’s case is being dealt with according to Canadian law and due process.”
We also asked for an interview with someone from the Bangladeshi government. But we have received no response to our requests.
And to clarify Amnesty International’s position, the report we referred to is the one on record in Mr. Chowdhury’s file with the Immigration and Refuge Board. It’s based on an Amnesty report from 2002 which states there are “no obvious indications of bias in the trials.” After speaking to Mr. Chowdhury, we heard from Amnesty’s Secretary General for Canada, Alex Neve. He told us that it is not the organization’s conclusion that the trial was fair that any trial in absentia is inherently unfair and that Amnesty opposes extradition to country where there is the risk of facing the death penalty.
Original source at http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2011/02/28/nur-chowdhury/
