Chittagong Al-Badr commander Mir Quasem to go to the gallows

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali has been condemned to death by the war crimes tribunal.

Under his command local collaborators of Pakistan Army let loose a reign of terror to suppress the freedom struggle of Bengalis in Chittagong in 1971.

He pumped billions into Jamaat-e-Islami since the mid-1980s to put it on a firm financial footing in Bangladesh.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2, chaired by Justice Obaidul Hassan, sentenced him to hang until death on Sunday, nearly six months after the case was wrapped up.

The judges ordered Mir Quasem be hanged until death for two charges, after finding him unanimously guilty of killing young freedom fighter ‘Jashim’ along with five others unidentified. He was also found guilty by majority for the murders of Ranjit Das and Tuntun Sen.

He was given total 72 years in prison on eight other charges.

Quasem’s verdict came three days after the head of Al Badr and Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was sentenced to death by ICT-1 last Wednesday.

Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum said the verdict will help Bangladesh challenge the 'culture of impunity,’ while the defence alleged that 'cause of justice has not been served'.

“Mir Quasem has been sentenced to death for killing young freedom fighter ‘Jashim’ and several others not identified and dumping their bodies into the Karnaphuli River.

“He was also given 72 years in prison for charges including torture, abduction and confinement,” Malum said.

Defence counsels said they would appeal against the verdict.

“The prosecution failed to provide documents to prove his presence in Chittagong when the said crimes were committed. Mir Quasem was actually in Dhaka,” defence counsel Md Mizanul Islam said.

Mir Quasem is said to have been the third man in vigilante militia Al-Badr’s command structure during the 1971 Liberation War.

He was brought to the courtroom at 10:43am.

Justice Hassan started reading the summary of the 351-page verdict at 10:55am.

Mir Quasem appeared to be in a rather good mood in the dock, bdnews24.com's Suliman Niloy reported from the courtroom.

Clad in a sky blue shirt and a beige coat, Mir Quasem sat with his legs crossed in the courtroom, appearing to be at ease.

But his demeanour changed as the judge went on delivering the verdict. He rose and reacted loudly when the judge announced the death sentence for him. "False incidents...false witnesses...it is a directed verdict."

He was indicted on Sept 5 last year on 14 counts including murder, abduction and torture. His trial ended on May 4 this year.

Said to be one of Jamaat’s top financiers, Mir Quasem was a director and of Islami Bank and chairman of the Diganta Media Corporation, believed to be pro-Jamaat.

He is also the founder of Ibn Sina Trust and director of the non-government organisation - Rabita al-Alam al-Islami.

An executive council member of Jamaat, he was arrested on June 17 last year from the offices of newspaper Naya Diganta less than two hours after the tribunal issued a warrant for his arrest.

Charges and Sentences

Charge-1 (Not guilty)

Al-Badr men led by Mir Quasem Ali abducted Md Omar-ul-Islam Chowdhury from Chaktai Shampan Ghat on Nov 8, 1971 and tortured him after taking him to a leather depot-turned-torture-cell – Dowsta Mohammad Panjabee Building, under Kotwali Police Station. He was later moved to another torture cell, Salma Manjil, at Asadganj. A few days later, he was moved to a torture cell set up by the Al-Badr commander at Andarkilla’s Mohamaya or Dalim Hotel, where he was forced to sign on some written and blank documents. The victim was later handed over to his maternal uncle.

Sentence - Acquitted

Charge-2 (Guilty)

The Al-Badr, led by Mir Quasem Ali, abducted Lutfar Rahman Faruk and ‘Seraj’ from a house where they were staying at Baklai’s Chaktai on Nov 19, 1971. They were taken to ‘Dalim Hotel’ and tortured in Mir Quasem’s presence. Lutfar Rahman was made to identify homes of pro-liberation activists, after which they were set on fire.

He was tortured for several days more before being handed over to the Circuit House occupied by the Pakistani Army, who subjected him to more torture before sending him to the Chittagong Jail. He was freed from there after Bangladesh won the war on Dec 16, 1971.

Sentence - 20 years prison term

Charge-3 (Guilty)

Abduction of Jahangir Alam Chowdhury from his rented house at Double Mooring’s Kodam Tali in November with the help of Al-Badr and Pakistani Army. The victim was mercilessly beaten and tortured at Dalim Hotel at Mir Quasem’s order. Pro-liberation forces and his relatives rescued him from the torture cell after Dec 16, 1971.

Sentence - 7 years prison term

Charge-4 (Guilty)

Abduction of Saifuddin Khan by Al-Badr men from Aziz Colony at on Nov 24, 1971. He was confined and severely tortured, along with others, at Mir Quasem’s orders. The victims were moved to the Chittagong Jail at the beginning of December. Khan’s wife ‘Nurjahan’ arranged a meeting through the Jailor and found him with blood stained wounds. He was released from the prison on Dec 16, 1971.

Sentence - 7 years prison term

Charge-5 (Not guilty)

Abdul Jabber Member was abducted from Primary Education Office at Nandan Kanan by Razakar Commander Jalal Chowdhury aka Jollal and his accomplices under Mir Quasem’s order on Nov 25, 1971. Jabber was blindfolded and his hands tied for 17-18 days after he was taken to Dalim Hotel. He was made to drink urine during torture, following which he stopped taking the food given by his captors. Mir Quasem ordered his release on bond on Dec 13.

Sentence - Acquitted

Charge-6 (Guilty)

This accuses Mir Qausem of organising the abduction of one Harun-or-Rashid Khan. He was taken to the Dalim Hotel in Chittagong, infamous as the torture cell of the Al-Badr, and later shifted to another torture cell. He was rescued by locals on Dec 16, when the country became independent.

Sentence - 7 years prison term

Charge-7 (Guilty)

The Chittagong chief of vigilante militia Al-Badr ordered the capture and torture of Md Sanaullah Chowdhury, Habibur Rahman and Elias. They were abducted from the city's Uttar Nala Parha area on Nov 27, 1971 and confined and tortured until early December.

They were released on conditions of providing information regarding freedom fighters.

Sentence - 7 years prison term

Charge-8 (Not guilty)
 

On Nov 29, 1971, the Pakistani troops along with Al-Badr members raided Sabganghata Moholla in Chittagong and picked up several persons including Nurul Quddus, Md Nasir and Nurul Hashem.

The three were then taken to the Dalim Hotel and tortured there for ten days before being sent to the Chittagong Central Jail. They were released on Dec 16. The prosecution said that Mir Quasem had 'directed' armed Al-Badr members and Pakistani troops to carry out the operations.

Sentence - Acquitted

Charge-9 (Guilty)

On Mir Quasem’s orders, armed Al-Badr members raided the house of Nuruzzaman and abducted him along with his six cousins on Nov 29, 1971. They were confined and tortured until the morning of Dec 16.

Sentence - 7 years prison term

Charge-10 (Guilty)

Al-Badr members abducted Md Zakaria, Md Salahuddin alias Chuttu Miah, Iskadner Alam Chowdhury, Md Nazim Uddin and several others from Chittagong's Nazirbarhi area On Nov 29, 1971. They were confined and tortured at the infamous Dalim Hotel, known as the base of Al-Badr in the port city. The prosecution said that the abductions had been organised by Mir Quasem.

Sentence - 7 years prison term

Charge-11 (Partially guilty)

Mir Quasem, ‘Khan Saheb’ of  Dalim Hotel, ordered the killing of freedom fighter ‘Jashim’ on Nov 8, 1971 after abducting him from an unknown location after Eid-ul-Fitr. The young fighter’s body along with five other unknown dead, was thrown into the Karnaphuli river.

Sentence - Death by hanging

Charge-12 (Partially guilty)

Mir Quasem planned Al-Badr’s abduction of Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Ranjit Das alias Lathu, Tuntun Sen alias Raju. Chowdhury was released the following day, but ‘Lathu’ and ‘Razu’ were killed and their bodies concealed. At the time of their abduction, Al-Badr, Razakar, Al-Shams and Pakistani Army plundered 250-300 homes at Chittagong’s Hindu-populated Hazari Lane, forcing more than a hundred families to flee to India as refugees.

Sentence - Death by hanging

Charge-13 (Not guilty)

Upon orders by Mir Quasem, Al-Badr members abducted one Sunil Kanti Bordhon alias Dulal by the end of Nov, 1971 and confined him at the torture cell at a leather depot at Chaktai Dost area in Chittagong set up by the militia. On Dec 14, he was shifted to another Al-Badr base, the infamous Dalim Hotel and Dec 16, he was rescued along with others by the locals.

Sentence - Acquitted

Charge-14 (Guilty)

A group of Al-Badr member led by its Chittagong chapter chief Mir Quasem raided a house at the Nazir Ahmed Chowdhury Road and picked up Nasiruddin Chowdhury late November in 1971. Chowdhury was taken to the Dalim Hotel base of Al-Badr and tortured in presence of Mir Quasem. Chowdhury was released along with another 100 to 150 persons on Dec 16 by the locals.

Sentence - 10 years prison term

'The Al-Badr days and after'

Born in Manikganj's Harirampur, he was better known as 'Mintu' to the people of Chittagong during the war.

Mir Quasem was a first-year student of physics at Chittagong College in 1971. He headed Islami Chhatra Sangha’s unit as its president.

He was elected a member of the Pakistan Chhatra Sangha’s provincial working council on Nov 6 and became the general secretary of its East Pakistan wing during the Liberation War.

As a once commander of Al-Badr, a ‘killing squad’ formed with members of a Peace Committee and Islami Chhatra Sangha to assist Pakistani occupation forces, he is accused of playing a leading role in the murder, massacre, rape and loot that was rampant in Chittagong during that time.

There are also allegations that he ordered the massacre and murder at the Razakar camps there.

The Al-Badr in Chittagong, under his leadership, had set up camps for ‘torture and killings’ at Dalim Hotel in Andarkilla, Dowsta Mohammad Panjabee Building - a leather depot at Asadganj, and Salma Manjil at Panchlaish, it is said.

He became the founding President of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, a rechristened Chhatra Sangha, on Feb 6, 1977.

Altogether, 24 people testified against Mir Quasem from Dec 11 last year to Apr 27 this year, while the defence produced three witnesses – Mir Quasem’s younger sister Momtaz Nuruddin and freedom fighters Mohammad Ali and Abu Taher Khan from Chittagong.
 

 

(Reporting from court by Quazi Shahreen Haq and Suliman Niloy, additional reporting by Ashik Hossain, Salauddin Wahed Pritom and Kamal Hossain Talukder)