Kamaruzzaman to hang

A war crimes tribunal has ruled that Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman must die for the crimes he committed in 1971 against Bengalees fighting for the birth of Bangladesh.

This former Al-Badr man committed the crimes at the age of 19 when he was a local leader of Jamaat’s erstwhile student wing, the Islami Chhatra Sangha, in and around Sherpur.

Justice Obaidul Hassan-led International Crimes Tribunal-2 gave out the verdict.

The Jamaat itself perpetrated war crimes – listed by the Guinness Book of Records as among the five deadliest 20th-century killing – during the war against Pakistan and facing widespread call for being outlawed as a political party.

Justice Mohammad Shahinur Islam began reading the 62-page summary of the 215-page verdict at 11:21am in an overcrowded courtroom, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported.

Judge Md Mozibur Rahman said five of the seven charges levelled against him had been proven.

He said, according to the charges brought by the prosecution, Kamaruzzaman was the ‘chief organiser’ of the Al-Badr, a militant outfit formed to assist the Pakistan army to thwart Bangladesh’s freedom struggle in 1971, of greater Mymensingh region.

A former head of Jamaat’s diplomatic relations and liaison team, Kamaruzzaman was sentenced to death on charges of genocide at Sohagpur and murder of Golam Mostafa, Justice Obaidul Hassan said as he read out the verdict. “Seeing how he has committed these crimes, it will not be fair if he is not penalised with capital punishment.”

The Jamaat leader was given life in prison for killing Badiuzzaman and the murder of five while ten years of imprisonment has been given out for torturing Lecturer Syed Abdul Hannan.

The ruling observed that it was only the Jamaat-e-Islami which formed Al Badr, Al Shams and several other armed organisations to commit crimes against humanity across the country in 1971.

Upon hearing the verdict, Kamaruzzaman stood up and said, “Wrong judgement. Everyone has to stand in the court of history.”

In an instant reaction to the verdict, Kamaruzzaman’s lawyer Abdur Razzaq told bdnews24.com, “We will appeal.”

However, tribunal’s prosecution and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam expressed satisfaction over the verdict.

People waiting outside the court premises, at Shahbagh’s Ganajagaran Mancha and several other parts of the country came down to the streets expressing satisfaction over the verdict.

The prosecution had presented a report run by the Jamaat mouthpiece Daily Sangram during the war to support its allegation.

Judge Rahman said the defence had failed to prove otherwise.

Charges of Genocide at Sohagpur, torture of lecturer Abdul Hannan, murder of Golam Mostafa, and the murder of five were proved.

The verdict said that the charges of killing eight against Kamruzzaman could not be proved beyond doubt.

Kamaruzzaman was brought to the courtroom at 11:45am. Five minutes later, the judges arrived.

Chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal-2, Justice Obaidul Hassan, thanked the lawyers of both prosecution and defence, and began reading out the details of Kamaruzzaman’s verdict.

Justice Mohammad Mojibur Rahman Mia read out the second part of the verdict with ICT-2 Chairman giving the final verdict.

Kamaruzzaman was clad in a white shirt and black trousers. When brought, he headed straight to the place designated for him without looking anywhere. His oiled hair was brushed neatly, and he was not wearing a skull cap.

Freedom fighters, eminent personalities and leaders of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee were seen at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) premises despite a drizzle on Thursday morning, awaiting the verdict.

The three-member judge panel of ICT arrived at the court premises at around 10:00am.

Media, lawyers, and many others from various walks of life were gathering at the tribunal premises since morning, bdnews24.com Correspondents at the scene reported. Kamaruzzaman was brought to the tribunal from Dhaka Central Jail at around 9:30am.

Ghatak Dlal Nirmul Committee chief Shahriar Kabir, Professor Muntasir Mamun, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yousuf Bachchu were present at the scene and were talking to journalists. They were all hoping for capital punishment for Kamaruzzaman and all war criminals.

Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command Council members arrived at the tribunal premises with national flags and their own flags at around 10:45am. Council Chairman Retired Major General Helal Morshed Khan was seen leading them.

They were chanting slogans demanding execution of war criminals.

Special security arrangements were made at the tribunal premises, police’s Ramna Zone Assistant Commissioner (patrol) Imanul Islam told bdnews24.com. Traffic was curbed through Doyel Chattar, Kadam Fountain and other areas.

Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were stood guard outside the tribunal premises.

ICT-2 started hearing Kamaruzzaman’s case on Jun 4 last year. The Jamaat leader has been charged on seven accounts of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

The prosecution accused Kamaruzzaman, who then was the head of the Mymensingh unit of Jamaat’s student affiliate Islami Chhatra Shangha, of setting up the Al Badr collaborator force with handpicked activists in Jamalpur on Apr 22.

The force was accused of involvement in genocide, killing, rape, looting, arson, and deportation of people in the greater Mymensingh district including Jamalpur, Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Sherpur and Tangail, the prosecution said.

Kamaruzzaman is the fourth defendant to be convicted of crimes against humanity since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government opened the war crimes tribunal in 2010.

The tribunal sentenced former Jamaat leader Abul Kalam Azad to death in January for crimes during the war. Another Assistant Secretary General, Abdul Quader Mollah, was sentenced to life in prison on Feb 5 on similar charges.

Jamaat’s number two Delwar Hossain Sayedee was found guilty on eight counts involving mass killings, rape and atrocities on Feb 28. Five other top party leaders are currently on trial while Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam’s verdict is expected any day.