While the US State Department continues to offer a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Bangladeshi fugitive Syed 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military officers in Bangladesh are reportedly working to have his convictions suspended, pending criminal cases withdrawn, and ultimately to restore him to military service.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 Bangladesh’s commitment to counterterrorism cooperation with Washington and about the future of one of America’s most prominent terrorism cases in South Asia.
It may be recalled that 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. Roy was killed, while Ahmed survived with critical injuries.
A total of six individuals were charged, tried, and convicted in Bangladesh. Two of the convicted conspirators, Ziaul Haque (aka Major Zia) and Akram Hussain, were tried in absentia and remain at large.
Two related groups claimed responsibility for the attack. Ansarullah Bangla Team, an Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist organization based in Bangladesh, claimed responsibility shortly after the incident.
Subsequently, Asim Umar, the now-deceased leader of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), released a widely circulated video claiming that AQIS followers were responsible for the attack on Roy and Ahmed.
Ansarullah Bangla Team originated around 2007 as Jama’atul Muslemin before rebranding and emerging as ABT in 2013. Following government crackdowns and leadership changes, the group reorganized and began operating under the name Ansar al-Islam.
In 2016, the US State Department designated AQIS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, which authorizes sanctions against terrorists and those who support terrorist organizations or acts.
According to the Jamestown Foundation, during various investigations, Bangladeshi police uncovered information regarding Ziaul Haque’s involvement in numerous targeted attacks and killings that took place between January 2013 and April 2016.
After evading arrest following the failed coup plot and remaining underground for several years, Ziaul Haque’s name resurfaced as the military wing chief of Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh. An affiliate of AQIS, Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh has been responsible for many targeted attacks against secular writers, intellectuals, bloggers, gay rights activists, and free speech advocates.
A June 2016 report by the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center stated: “Challenged not only by the presence of already existing local radical Islamist groups but also by the recently declared expansion of activities within the country by ‘international’ terrorist organizations, Bangladesh is becoming another arena of competition between the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, reflecting a broader global trend.”
The most disturbing development recently reported in local media is that former military officers have launched a coordinated effort to secure legal relief for dismissed Bangladesh Army Maj. Syed Ziaul Haque, whom authorities have identified as a key figure in Ansar al-Islam.
According to the report, 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.
The retired officers argued that the criminal cases against Zia were politically motivated and that significant irregularities occurred during both the investigations and the judicial proceedings.
Will it succeed?
As part of the initiative, applications have been submitted to the Home Affairs Ministry under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code, seeking suspension of the death sentences imposed in three separate murder cases.
At the same time, separate applications have been filed requesting that the remaining criminal cases be reviewed by the government’s Political Cases Review Committee.
According to RAWA Joint General Secretary Lt.-Col. (ret.) Abu Nowroz Khurshid Alam, the organization has already met senior government officials, including the law minister, to seek cooperation.
Khurshid told the media that the Home Ministry initially advised the organization to consult the Law Ministry regarding possible legal procedures.
He said that during a meeting with the law minister earlier this year, RAWA representatives discussed the ongoing legal proceedings involving Zia and submitted relevant documents supporting their position.
The legal campaign extends beyond seeking suspension of the death sentences. Applications have also been submitted requesting the withdrawal of the remaining criminal cases through the government’s Political Cases Review Committee.
According to the petitions, the Dhaka Metropolitan Public prosecutor has already recommended removing Zia’s name from the nine pending cases.
The petitions further state that although the District Review Committee recommended withdrawing 61 cases to the Home Affairs Ministry, Zia’s nine cases were not included in that recommendation.
Separate applications have also been submitted to the inspector general of police requesting withdrawal of the Tk 2 million reward previously announced for Zia’s arrest.
Copies of the petitions were also reportedly sent to the Home Ministry’s legal adviser, the attorney-general’s office, the inspector general of police, and the office of the army chief.
Whether the legal initiatives on behalf of Ziaul Haque ultimately succeed remains to be seen. Yet the very existence of such efforts has implications that extend far beyond Bangladesh’s domestic politics.
The case touches on the credibility of judicial verdicts in terrorism prosecutions, the integrity of international counterterrorism cooperation, and the confidence that allies place in one another’s commitment to combating violent extremism.
For Washington, the issue is likely to be viewed not merely through the prism of Bangladesh’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.
The writer is editor of the Bangladesh-based publication Blitz and a commentator on Islamist extremism, terrorism, and South Asian geopolitics.