Ghulam Azam did ‘politics’ even in death

War criminal Ghulam Azam ‘did politics’ by expressing his wish to have his funeral prayers led by other war crimes convicts, says Shahriar Kabir, who has long been leading a campaign for trial of war criminals.

Kabir learned about Azam’s death while taking part in a TV talk-show on Thursday night. At the time, TV stations were showing live the former Jamaat-e-Islami chief’s lawyer Tajul Islam talking to reporters at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital.

Tajul said Azam wished to be buried at family graveyard at Moghbazar in Dhaka and have his funeral prayers led by Jamaat leaders Delwar Hossain Sayedee or Motiur Rahman Nizami.

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Sayedee is serving life in jail term in war crimes cases while party’s chief Nizami is being tried for his involvement in crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

Hearing the statement of lawyer Islam, Kabir, President of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, said in his instant reaction: “He did politics even in death.”

“Before death, people usually apologise for their misdeeds. But his lawyer said Gulham Azam had ordered holding his funeral prayers led by convicted war crimes and people facing trials,” he added.

Kabir feared other convicts now might express similar wishes.

BSMMU Director Brig Gen Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told the media at 11:53pm on Thursday that the former Jamaat chief died at 10:10pm.

The 92-year-old, who was sentenced to 90 years in jail on July 15 last year for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, had been kept on life support since 9:30pm.

Hearing on Azam's appeal against the punishment was slated for Dec 2.

Azam is the second war crimes convict to die in the hospital's prison cell after Joypurhat's Abdul Alim, a minister in the late 1970s in Gen Ziaur Rahman cabinet. BNP's Alim was to spend ‘the rest of his life in jail’.

AKM Yusuf of Jamaat died while still being tried by war crimes tribunal. His trial was terminated after the death.