People of Faridpur demand quick execution of war criminal Mujahid

People in Faridpur, war criminal Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid’s home district, want his quick execution, now that the Supreme Court has upheld his death penalty.

Faridpur Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 18 Nov 2015, 11:01 AM
Updated : 18 Nov 2015, 11:12 AM

The secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami was sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal on July 17, 2013 for murdering teachers and intellectuals and for his involvement in torturing and killing Hindus in 1971.

Mujahid had sought a review of the verdict but the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division upheld the tribunal’s decision on June 16.

On Wednesday, the Chief Justice SK Sinha-led bench rejected his petition to review the death penalty, clearing all legal hurdles to his execution.

“The judgment reflects the expectations of freedom fighters. This is what we wanted,” said Nur Mohammad Babul, former commander of Faridpur’s Muktijoddha Sangsad (freedom fighters’ council).

Cultural personality Siraj-e-Kabir said, “The Appellate Division’s upholding the penalty is a victory for the rule of law; it fulfils the aspirations of pro-independence people.”

Abul Foyez Shahnewaz, commander of the district chapter of Muktijoddha Sangsad, said: “We, the freedom fighters, now want a quick execution of the verdict.”

“The upholding of Mujahid’s [death] penalty has cleansed our Faridpur of the stigma of being the birthplace of such evil war criminals,” said freedom fighter Syed Masud Hossain, who is also acting general secretary of the district Awami League.

Ranjit Nath Babu, who testified against Mujahid before the war crimes tribunal, said, “I used to be scared of Mujahid’s reprisals. Now I am relieved.”

Mujahid is the fourth man from Faridpur to have been sentenced to death for war crimes.

Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar was sentenced to death in Jan 21, 2013.

Later, Abdul Qader Molla was convicted and hanged for his war crimes.

BNP leader Zahid Hossain alias Khokan Razakar, too, has been given the death penalty for his crimes during the Liberation War.