Jamaat leader Azhar to die for 1971 genocide

Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, who led the notorious Al-Badr militia in Rangpur, has been sentenced to death for the genocide of 1,400 Hindus during Bangladesh's Liberation War.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1, chaired by Justice Enayetur Rahim, found the Jamaat-e-Islami leader guilty of five out of six charges on Tuesday.

The prosecution dubbed it a "milestone" while the defence said they would challenge the verdict.

Born on Feb 22, 1952, Azhar was a higher secondary student at Rangpur’s Carmichael College in 1971. He was the chief of Jamaat student front Islami Chhatra Sangha and led the Al-Badr in the district.

People in Rangpur took out processions and distributed sweets in celebration of his death sentence.

His party Jamaat responded with a back-to-back countrywide shutdown for Wednesday and Thursday.

Justice Rahim urged everyone to eschew violence irrespective of the verdict.

Jamaat activists ran wild every time their leaders were convicted.

War crimes suspects were put on trial after the Awami League-led government set up a special tribunal in 2010. A second one was set up later to expedite the trials.

Jamaat, accused of committing war crimes, claims the tribunals fall short of international standards and accuses the government of carrying out a political vendetta -- a charge the government denies.

The Ganajagaran Mancha, a secular platform pressing for the maximum penalty for war crimes convicts, said they were satisfied.

Freedom fighters who gathered outside the court welcomed it.

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Azhar, arrested on Aug 22, 2012, was indicted on Nov 12 last year.

Hearing in his case was wrapped up on Sept 18.

Justice Rahim pointed out that foreign media depicted Azhar as a religious figure.

"We're trying him as a war criminal suspect," he said, adding, "his (Azhar) stature as an Islamic or religious figure is not our concern."

The tribunal also made its observations on the 'Biranganas' -- war heroines who were violated by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators.

Prosecutor Tureen Afroz said the court ordered the inclusion of biographies of the 'Biranganas' in textbooks to let future generations know of their sacrifices.

Azhar is the eighth senior Jamaat leader to be convicted of war crimes.

Azhar's party Jamaat has called the war crimes trials a 'farce'. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

 

Charge-1 (Not guilty)

Azhar along with other armed members of the Jamaat and ICS and Pakistani troops abducted Liberation War organiser and National Awami Party leader AY Mahfuz Ali Zorres Mia and 10 others within Mar 24 to Mar 27 in 1971.

They took the detainees to Rangpur cantonment and tortured them there. Ten of them were killed in brushfire at Dokhiganj crematorium on Apr 3. Dr Dinesh Chandra Bhowmik ‘luckily’ escaped with bullet injuries.

Charge-2 (Guilty)

Azhar along with several other Jamaat and ICS activists and Pakistani Army men went to Taxerhat Relgumti under Badarganj in Rangpur on Apr 16.

On their way to Dhapparha, they looted and torched many houses. At Dhapparha, they shot dead 14 unarmed civilians.

Sentence: Death

Charge-3 (Guilty)

The ICS leader, other members of the organisation and Jamaat supporters and Pakistani troops swooped on several villages near Jharuarbeel on Apr 17 killing over 1200 Hindu villagers.

They also detained another 200 people and murdered them at an unspecified location. The perpetrators also looted and torched houses there.

Sentence: Death

Charge-4 (Guilty)

Azhar along with Al-Badr and Pakistani Army personnel abducted four professors of Carmichael College and wife of another from its campus on Apr 30 and shot them dead near Damdam Bridge.

Sentence: Death

Charge-5 (Guilty)

Jamaat and ICS activists and local Bihari people led by Azhar helped Pakistani military to detain, violate and physically torture scores of women at Rangpur cantonment.

Sentence: 25 years in prison

Charge-6 (Guilty)

Azhar tortured Shawkat Hossain Ranga for chanting ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan at Rangpur town in the middle of November. Later, Ranga’s sibling Rafiqul Hassan Nannu was abducted from Betpatti in the district town and tortured at Carmichael College’s Shaheed Muslim Hall.

Sentence: Five years in prison