"The persons under vigilance can flee the country only with your [law enforcers] assistance. It has been told that he decamped away. But he did not. Rather he was sent abroad with proper care," Prof Mizanur Rahman said at a seminar in the city.
"It is our apprehension that he could not cross the country's border without someone's help," said the NHRC chief while addressing the discussion on rights of Dalit communities at Cirdap auditorium.
On Monday, Rapid Action Battalion
(Rab) officials said Bachchu Rajakar slipped into India through Dinajpur border on April 2. He left Dhaka on March 30.The prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 dealing with the war crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971 sought an arrest warrant against Azad on March 25 following which Bachchu Razakar was under watch of the law enforcement personnel.
The tribunal issued the warrant on April 3.
Talking to news hounds after the seminar, the rights body chief said, "Since the members of our law enforcement agencies know all information in detail, it was expected that strict vigilance would be there. But, he bravely ran away dodging everyone!"
"How can a person escape when he remains under such vigilance?" Prof Mizanur wondered.
"It is possible only in Bangladesh. Here murders are taking place frequently, and later those are labelled as suicides," he said.
Regarding the home minister's remark that assistance of the Interpol would be sought to bring Bachchu Razakar back, the NHRC chief said, "Interpol can only locate a person, but it cannot send the absconding person back. It needs bilateral relations [with the corresponding country] to bring someone back from abroad."
About the NHRC's investigation over the killings of six alleged muggers in Narsingdi by Rab, Prof Mizanur said a full-commission meeting will be held on April 18 to decide on the matter.
Talking about the delay in investigation of the murder of journalist couple, he said, "We hope there has been positive progress [in the investigation]."