Jamaat leader Azhar's war crimes verdict Tuesday

Bangladesh's first war crimes will judge Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam on Tuesday, who is charged with six counts of atrocities.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 29 Dec 2014, 05:15 AM
Updated : 29 Dec 2014, 07:16 PM

The International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Enayetur Rahim, set the verdict date on Monday.

Hearing in the case against the Jamaat assistant secretary general was wrapped up on Sept 18.

Indicted on Nov 12 last year, he stands accused of murder, genocide, abduction, torture, and rape in Rangpur during the war.

According to the prosecution, charges brought against Azhar include murder of 1,225 people in Rangpur, murder of four more, abduction of 17 people, torture on 13 people, and arson.

Azhar, a higher secondary student at Rangpur’s Carmichael College in 1971, was the chief of the Islami Chhatra Shangha, the then student front of Jamaat.

He had allegedly led the Al-Badr vigilante militia to assist the Pakistan Army to throttle the freedom struggle.

Azhar was arrested at his Moghbazar residence on Aug 22, 2012 and has been in jail since then.