Ganajagaran Mancha unhappy with ‘soft sentences’ for five war criminals

Ganajagaran Mancha has expressed its displeasure with five war criminals not being handed down the maximum penalty.

Reacting to the Monday verdict, spokesperson Imran H Sarker said it is beyond their comprehension why the five were allowed to walk away with the lighter sentence and not awarded the death sentence, like the three others in the verdict.

A three-judge bench of the International Crimes Tribunal handed down death sentences to three war criminals for atrocities committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

Five others were awarded life sentences for the same crimes.

Those who are headed for the gallows or are likely to face a shooting squad include Md Ashraf Hussain, Abdul Mannan and Abdul Barik.

Advocate Shamsul Hoque alias “Badar Bhai”, SM Yousuf Ali, former Islami Bank personnel Sharif Ahmed alias Sharif Hussain, Md Abdul Hussain and ‘Harun’ will spend the rest of their lives in jail, the court has ruled.

Sarker pointed out that war criminals present in government custody get away with life terms while those who are awarded the death penalty are generally absconding, thereby making their punishment impossible.