BGB deployed ahead of verdict, Nizami in Dhaka jail

Motiur Rahman Nizami has been brought to Dhaka Central Jail from Gazipur's Kashimpur jail in tight security details.

Staff Correspondent Gazipur and Pabna Correspondentsbdnews24.com
Published : 28 Oct 2014, 03:47 PM
Updated : 28 Oct 2014, 07:16 PM

The Jamaat-e-Islami chief will have the verdict on his 1971 war crimes charges delivered on Wednesday.

The government has ordered the law-enforcing agencies to beef up capital Dhaka's security and decided to call out Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The 71-year old Jamaat leader, who is charged with 16 counts of war crimes, was brought out of Kashimpur jail at 5:45pm in a microbus.

Kashimpur jail official Md Mizanur Rahman told bdnews24.com Nizami was sent to Dhaka because his presence in the courtroom during the verdict's delivery was a must.

The microbus carrying Nizami arrived at the Dhaka Central Jail around 8pm, Senior Jailer Md Farman Ali told bdnews24.com.

The Jamaat chief has been behind bars since June 29, 2010.

That day, the Jamaat boss was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and on Aug 2 that year, he was shown arrested in the case for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Since then, Nizami has spent most of the time at Kashimpur jail.

Meanwhile, Jamaat is yet to give any reaction or announce any protest programmes against the date of the verdict which was postponed twice before.

So far, countrywide shutdowns have been called on every verdict day for top Jamaat leaders charged with crimes against humanity.

But law enforcers were on the vigil to prevent violence before and after the verdict in Nizami's case, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman.

He told bdnews24.com police would ensure security at different important points in the capital so that no unpleasant incidents over the verdict took place.

He added secret close-circuit cameras would keep an watch.

RAB would also be on alert and patrol the streets, said the elite police unit’s spokesperson Mufti Mahmud Khan.

“No one will be spared if they cause any kind of trouble," he told bdnews24.com.

BGB personnel were deployed on Tuesday night to assist police to maintain law and order.

BGB spokesperson Mohsin Reza told bdnews24.com the birder guards would provide security in different districts including Pabna, Khulna and Chittagong.

Nizami, who led the 'Al Badr' militia during the war in 1971, hails from Pabna's Santhia Upazila. The local administration there has also taken measures to tackle any eventuality.

RAB and police patrols in the Upazila were increased. Santhia Police Station OC Shahid Mahmud told bdnews24.com they were keeping the witnesses who testified against Nizami under protective observation.

Eight people from Santhia testified in the war crimes case against Nizami. They have been asked to contact police immediately in case of emergency.

Police would take them into protective custody if situation demanded, said OC Mahmud.

Security in the port city of Chittagong were also tightened since the ICT earlier in the day set Wednesday for the verdict.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police officials said check points would be set up from the early hours of Wednesday at the different city points.

Additional Commissioner Banaj Kumar Majumder told bdnews24.com they would promptly thwart any untoward incident.

He said five platoons each from Armed Police Battalion and Industrial Police and six platoons from BGB will be deployed.

Additional Superintendent of Police Naimul Hasan told bdnews24.com special deployment of BGB personnel would be made in some important and sensitive Upazilas - Satkania, Lohagarha, Bashkhali, Sitakunda and Hathazari.

Massive violence by Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir supporters were carried out in the capital and regions across the country after the war crimes tribunal sentenced the party's executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee to death on Feb 28, 2013.

Many were killed including several policemen and numerous injured during those incidents.

These Upazilas also saw major violence around the time of the last general election in January this year.