Ghulam Azam to be buried at Moghbazar: family

War criminal Ghulam Azam, the ‘guru’ of those who opposed independence and was responsible for sending scores of Bengalis a to their early graves, will be buried at the family graveyard at Dhaka's Moghbazar, his family says.

One of his sons Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, however, said no specific date had been set for the Namaz-e-Janaza and burial of the former Jamaat-e-Islami chief.

The 92-year-old Jamaat guru, sentenced to 90 years in jail for his crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital on Thursday night.

Azmi at the hospital told reporters, "He (Ghulam Azam) will be buried beside his father at the family graveyard at Moghbazar."

"The burial will take place two or three days later. My five brothers live abroad. The burial will take place after they return."

Regarding his Namaz-e-Janaza, Azmi said, "My father in his last wish wanted either Motiur Rahman Nizami or Delwar Hossain Sayedee to conduct his Janaza.

“But since both of them are in jail, party leaders and our family will discuss and decide who will now conduct it."

The Jamaat supremo's body is now in custody of the jail authorities.

Jailer Mohammad Nesar Alam of Dhaka Central Jail told bdnews24.com Thursday night that the body would be handed over to the family on Friday after an autopsy at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

But Azmi said they had already pleaded with Dhaka district's deputy commissioner to hand them the body without autopsy. "The body will be kept at the mortuary if approved."

Earlier, Ghulam Azam's defence lawyer Tajul Islam also told reporters about the former Jamaat chief's 'wish' regarding the funeral prayers and burial.

"Now he is dead. We hope the government will fulfil his last two wishes," he said.

Azam had been kept at the BSMMU prison cell since he stood trial at the International Crimes Tribunal for his 1971 war crimes.

He was treated at the hospital even after the verdict on the war crimes case on July 15 last year.

Ghulam Azam's declining health was reported a day after the Supreme Court fixed Dec 2 to begin hearing his appeal against the verdict.

He was put on life support around 9:30pm on Thursday.

But BSMMU Director Brig Gen Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told the media that Azam had died "within about half an hour of him being put on life support system".