Jamaat chief Nizami buried in family graveyard in Pabna after hanging in Dhaka

War criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami has been buried in his native village Monmothpur at Santhia in Pabna following his execution in Dhaka Central Jail.

Two ambulances, including one carrying the corpse of the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, reached his village around 6:15am on Wednesday.

His son Nazib Momen received the body from Upazila executive officer around 6:40am.

He was buried shortly after a funeral prayer.

The former commander of Al-Badr militia, which assisted Pakistan Army during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971, was laid to rest at the family graveyard beside Monmothpur Madrasa in Dhopadaha union council.

Orchestrator of the murders of intellectuals just before the victory of Bangladesh, Nizami was hanged in the first hour.

Before the execution, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the war criminal had not pleaded for presidential pardon.

His relatives saw him for the last time at the jail on Tuesday evening. Preparation had been going at Santhia for the burial of Nizami who lived at Dhaka’s Banani with family.

The two ambulances, escorted by RAB and police vehicles, came out of the jail around 1:30am.

Police had said the vehicles would go to Pabna via Farmgate and Uttara in Dhaka, Tangail, Bangabandhu Bridge on the Jamuna River, and Sirajganj.

Security had been beefed up in Gazipur, Tangail, Sirajganj, and Pabna.

Locals said Santhia was tense with law enforcers patrolling the area.

Santhia police OC Nasir Uddin told bdnews24.com that cleaning of the graveyard began after Tuesday evening.

Nizami’s cousin Abdullah Al Mamun said police had designated the place for his burial.

The war criminal was elected MP thrice from Santhia and made minister during BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s government.

The 73-year old had exhausted all options to get his death penalty overturned, which was handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in 2014. 

The legal battle that he waged even since his arrest on Jun 29, 2010, has been long.

He sought a review after the Supreme Court upheld the maximum sentence on Jan 6 this year but the petition was dismissed last week for having ‘no merit’.

He was entitled to begging pardon from the president by admitting his guilt.

But the home minister on Tuesday night said, “Nizami did not seek mercy. The executive order to carry out the death sentence has been sent to the prison authorities.”

Nizami was moved to Dhaka Central Jail from Kashimpur prison in Gazipur after his review petition had been thrown out and the final Appellate Division verdict was read out to him on Monday.