War crimes convict Alim dies

War crimes convict Abdul Alim, who was supposed to spend the rest of his life in prison for committing large-scale atrocities in 1971, has died at a prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 30 August 2014, 07:54 AM
Updated : 30 August 2014, 05:21 PM

The hospital's Director Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com that Alim died while undergoing treatment around 1:15pm on Saturday.

Dhaka Central Jail's Senior Jail Superintendent Farman Ali told bdnews24.com he was shifted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to increased respiratory ailments on Tuesday. He was on life support since then.

"Doctors declared him dead after his life support was withdrawn around 1:15pm.”

According to the International Crimes Tribunal, Alim, a former minister of the BNP, deserved death for the ‘utterly heinous’ crimes he had committed but he was given life sentence considering his age and disability.

The 84-year-old has been at BSMMU’s prison ward since the verdict was handed down in Oct 9 last year.

Alim was found guilty of crimes like murder, genocide and loot in Joypurhat during the 1971 Liberation War. Nine of the 17 charges levelled against him were proved beyond a shadow of doubt.

The war crimes convict’s appeal against the verdict is still pending at the Supreme Court.

In a similar case, the tribunal had terminated the trial against Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf when he died in February this year.

Alim's body will be kept at the BSMMU hospital's mortuary, said DMP Ramna Zone Assistant Commissioner Shibly Noman.

He told bdnews24.com: "The body will be handed over to the relatives after an autopsy on Sunday.”

Family members, however, pleaded to hand over the body without conducting an autopsy.

"Since the doctors said that my father died of cancer, we have asked to hand over the body without conducting an autopsy. Let's see what happens," Alim's son, Khaled Bin Alim told bdnews24.com.

He said a funeral prayer would also be held at Banani before taking the body to Joypurhat for burial.

File Photo

A jail official said Alim was suffering from cancer for a long-time.
“But according to the law, handing over the body without conducting autopsy is impossible. The matter is being discussed in top level. Steps will follow the next orders.”
Alim was arrested from his Joypurhat residence on Mar 27, 2011.
His trial at the war crimes tribunal began on July 9, 2012.
Alim was born on Nov 1, 1930 in Joypurhat. His father Abdul Wahed owned Islamia Rice Mill on Thana Road. His family migrated to Joypurhat from Hooghly in West Bengal in 1950-51.
He did his post-graduation in law to pursue a lawyer's career. In 1958, he joined Muslim League and rose through the ranks in four years to become the party's organising secretary.
He was vice-chairman of Bogra district council and an influential leader of Convention Muslim League during the final stages of the War of Independence.
Alim was the chairman of Joypurhat ‘Shanti (Peace) Committee’ formed to assist the Pakistani army. He was directly involved in building the Razakar Bahini there and in crimes against humanity during the war.
He was accused under the Collaborators Act brought on by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan.
He was elected chairman of Joypurhat Municipality in 1975 and 1977 and won parliamentary election in 1979, 1996 and 2001 on BNP ticket.
Mainly known as a Razakar leader, Alim served military strongman and BNP founder General Ziaur Rahman's Cabinet first as the textiles minister and then as communications minister in 1978.