Release Molla respecting public opinion: Jamaat

Amid relentless public outcry seeking death penalty for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla for war crimes charges, the Islamist party has claimed the people have rejected the verdict and urged the government to release him ‘respecting public opinion’.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Feb 2013, 08:53 AM
Updated : 6 Feb 2013, 09:38 AM

The Jamaat made the call on Wednesday after enforcing two back-to-back nationwide general strikes protesting the verdict of Bangladesh’s second war crimes tribunal sentencing Molla to life term in jail.

In a media statement, party’s Acting Secretary General Rafiqul Islam alleged that the verdict against Molla was ‘politically motivated’. He said the people had “rejected the verdict by observing the strike” called by the party.

“We are urging the government to respect public opinion and release Abdul Quader Molla without any further delay,” he said.

আটক শীর্ষনেতাদের মুক্তি দাবিতে সোমবার মতিঝিলে জামায়াতে ইসলামীর মিছিল।

The three-judge ICT-2 panel convicted Molla on Tuesday for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. The court found him guilty in five charges and acquitted him in another.
The verdict gave rise to confusion whether the prosecution could appeal against the verdict.
Section 21 of the amended International Crimes Tribunal Act (1973), under which the trial is being conducted, says: “A person convicted of any crime specified in Section 3 and sentenced by a Tribunal shall have the right of appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh against such conviction and sentence.”
On Tuesday, Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee’s chief legal advisor Barrister Turin Afroze had said the government would not be able to appeal the verdict but Molla could if he wanted under provisions of the amended International Crimes Tribunal Act (1973).
However, dispelling all confusions, Additional Attorney General MK Rahman, also the Prosecution Coordinator, on Wednesday said the government would appeal the verdict.
He said the prosecution might seek a Supreme Court order on the whole verdict after lodging the appeal.
Article 104 of the Constitution says: “The Appellate Division shall have power to issue such directions, orders, decrees or writs as may be necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, including orders for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person or the discovery or production of any document.”
The verdict triggered protests from quarters of the country seeking death penalty for Molla. Thousands of demonstrators thronged the busy Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka. They have been demonstrating there since Tuesday afternoon demanding capital punishment for Molla, who was known as the ‘Butcher of Mirpur’ during the Liberation War.
Jamaat had enforced a countrywide shutdown on Tuesday and called for another for Wednesday protesting the verdict. The Islamist party has announced fresh agitation programmes for Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, the party will hold countrywide rally and observe ‘prayers day’ on Friday.