Molla, Kamaruzzaman stripped of Press Club membership

The Managing Committee of the National Press Club on Wednesday cancelled memberships of Jamaat-e-Islami’s assistant secretary generals Abdul Quader Molla and Muhammed Kamaruzzaman, committee member Farid Hossain said.

The termination came in response to a call by the protesters from a mass rally in Shahbagh on Friday. The protesters are demanding death sentence for Molla and all other war criminals.

“This is an unanimous decision of the Managing Committee,” Hossain, also the Dhaka chief of the New York-based global news agency Associated Press (AP), told bdnews24.com.

Molla was sentenced to life in prison on Feb 5 by the International Crimes Tribunal-2 for killing and other war crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

Kamaruzzaman is also standing trial on charges of crimes against humanity in 1971.

A press statement issued by the club said the decision was made in line with sections 13 (ka) and 12 (ka) of its constitution.

The club’s constitution says if a member is convicted in a court of law one's membership can be annulled. On the other hand, membership could also be terminated if the committee wants that in line with section 13 (ka).