Ganajagaran Mancha takes to Shahbagh again

Ahead of the verdict on the appeal against war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayedee's death sentence, Ganajagaran Mancha activists have once again gathered at Shahbagh.

On Tuesday evening Mancha activists began converging on Shahbagh after the Appellate Division said it would rule on the appeal involving the Jamaat-e-Islami leader on Wednesday.

Around 6pm a procession marched from there to TSC and back.

Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarkar said, "We hope that the Appellate Division will uphold the death penalty for Razakar Sayedee."

"He is a marked war criminal. The charges brought against him have been proved in court. People will not accept any other punishment for him," he added.

He recalled the violence perpetrated by Jamaat loyalists across Bangladesh after war crimes verdicts and called on the nation to stand up against them.

Imran said Mancha would keep vigil at Shahbagh until midnight and again from 8am Wednesday.

The Mancha emerged from a spontaneous movement at Shahbagh by students and the public, demanding death penalty for Abdul Quader Molla, the first war crimes convict, who was awarded life term in February last year.

On Feb 28 last year, the International Crimes Tribunal had ordered Sayedee’s execution for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Of the 20 charges against him, Sayedee was given the death penalty for two – the murder of Ibrahim Kutti and Bisabali, and for setting fire to Hindu households in Pirojpur district in 1971.

Six other charges were also proven beyond doubt but no sentencing followed as he had already been given the death penalty.

After the ICT last year ordered Sayedee’s execution, Jamaat supporters across Bangladesh went berserk.

Over 70 people, including policemen, were killed and over 200 injured in the violence. Numerous vehicles, houses, shops, and Hindu communities were also attacked, vandalised and torched.

Sayedee had, on Mar 28 last year, appealed against the death sentence, seeking acquittal.

An Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain will deliver the verdict on his appeal on Wednesday, according to the cause list on the Supreme Court's website.