Rumours of Ghulam Azam’s death false

Rumours of war criminal Ghulam Azam’s death have been dispelled by the authorities of the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

A day after Jamaat-e-Islami issued a statement expressing concern over his health, rumours of his death spread in the social media on Tuesday.

Azam, Jamaat’s chief during the Liberation War, is undergoing treatment in the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

BSMMU Director Brig Gen Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com that the rumours of Azam’s death were false.

“He has said his Maghrib prayers as usual and taken a light meal,” he said.

Prison DG Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin also confirmed that the rumours were untrue.

Azam’s son, Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, contacted the prison authorities after hearing the rumours.

“I asked them and found out the news was false,” he told bdnews24.com.

Brig Gen Bhuiyan said he would ask detective police to investigate the rumours.

Last year the International Crimes Tribunal gave the 90-year-old Ghulam Azam prison until death for crimes against humanity in the Liberation War of 1971.

The verdict said although his crimes were worthy of a death sentence, he was given jail considering his age.

On Monday Jamaat issued a statement saying they were deeply concerned over the ‘news’ of Azam’s health being deteriorating and the government was ‘illegally’ keeping him in prison and ‘depriving’ him of treatment.