Ghulam Azam hospitalised in jail custody

The 90-year-old former Jamaat-e-Islami chief is admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital hours after he was refused bail

Dhaka, Jan 11 (bdnews24.com)— Jamaat-e-Islami linchpin Ghulam Azam was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital hours after the he was refused bail and sent to the Dhaka Central Jail on Wednesday.

The hospitalisation of the 90-year old former Jamaat chief, who is said to be suffering from old-age and health complications, took place following an appeal by his lawyers.

Jailor Mahbubul Islam told bdnews24.com, "He has been kept at the hospital under custody following the lawyers' plea. He was taken there in an ambulance."

Azam is facing charges of crimes against humanity during the nation's freedom struggle in 1971. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) , set up to try those crimes, rejected his bail plea and asked authorities to put him behind bars.

Rejecting his bail plea, the three-judge panel ordered the prosecution to submit all documents and a list of witnesses by Thursday.

Azam's defence will collect them by Sunday.

Justice Nizamul Huq-led tribunal set Feb 15 for the hearing on framing of charges against him.

At the hearing, defence counsel Abdur Razzaq requested for division in jail, but the tribunal declined and asked him to file an application with the jail authorities.

"We have not given such an order up to this point. Why don't you apply to the jail authorities and see what happens?"

Razzaq was insistent that the tribunal could still issue such an order using its 'inherent powers', upon which Justice Huq told him that he may return to the court if Ghulam Azam were refused division in the jail.

After the hearing, he was taken to a prison van, which immediately started for jail amid tight security.

The former Jamaat chief left the court premises at noon and reached the jail around a quarter hour later.

The tribunal on Monday took prosecution charges of crimes against humanity against Azam into cognisance and asked his lawyer to produce him before the tribunal on Wednesday. In case of failure, the tribunal had said an arrest warrant would be issued.

He had filed a bail petition on Tuesday, citing old-age and health complications.

On Dec 12, the prosecution brought a 52-point charter of charges against Azam and appealed for his arrest. Later, following the tribunal order, charges were re-arranged and presented to the tribunal on Jan 5.

Azam had allegedly lead the infamous, 'Peace Committees' and collaborated with the Pakistan Army.

He also reportedly advocated in Pakistan's support in the Middle Eastern countries during the war.

He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and came back to Bangladesh during the rule of Ziaur Rahman in 1978. He led Jamaat as its Ameer until 2000.

bdnews24.com/kt/ta/jr/ost/bd/1600h