The government of Bangladesh, led by Mohammad Yunus, has pardoned the death sentence of a most-wanted terrorist. Yunus’ interim government has removed several names from the list of terrorists, including Major Zia from the banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen. This decision, reportedly shows that Yunus’ government is increasingly aligning with terror-supporting elements. Major Zia’s dangerous reputation is evident, as even the United States has put a bounty on him for his involvement in terrorist activities.
This move by Yunus’ government raises questions about whether the interim government is now making decisions to please ISI and other terrorist organizations.
Major Zia, whose name has been removed from Bangladesh’s most-wanted terrorist list, was once a military officer in the Bangladesh government. However, he started working against the government with the support of Pakistan’s ISI. He was accused of being involved in several terrorist activities, which led to his expulsion from the military.
Afterward, he expanded his terrorist network and became a prominent leader of the Bangladeshi militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen. Zia was involved in several murders, including the killings of bloggers Dipan and Abhijeet. He is accused in seven murder cases, with death sentences handed down in three of them.
The US Department of State had previously named Ziaul Haq as one of the most wanted terrorists and offered a USD 5 million reward for information leading to his capture. Ziaul fled Bangladesh in 2013 after a failed coup attempt and found refuge with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Using a Pakistani passport, he recently returned to Bangladesh after the Yunus administration lifted security clearance requirements for Pakistani nationals applying for visas.
On December 29, 2024, Ziaul formally requested his acquittal and removal from the “Most Wanted” list. His lawyer, M. Sarwar Hossain, filed applications with several government bodies, including the Law Ministry, Home Ministry, and Inspector General of Police, asking to nullify his convictions and lift the bounty on his head. Ziaul has been sentenced to death in three cases, with four other cases still under trial.
On December 30, a special court in Bengaluru, under the National Investigation Agency (NIA), sentenced a Bangladeshi national to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for promoting terrorist activities in India.
According to authorities, Zahidul Islam, a Bangladeshi citizen, was promoting terrorism in India on the instructions of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh-India (JMB-India).
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