Mujahid's arrogance had rattled many

Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid knew all that he had done—so did most of his countrymen.

But what Bangladeshis hated most was his arrogance, when he dared anyone to prove the war crimes. 

Masses of Bangladeshis rejoiced in the early hours of Sunday, November 22, when Mujahid was finally hanged for the atrocities he had committed during the liberation war in 1971.

As a former Islami Chhatra Sangha leader supporting the unity of Pakistan, Mujahid had inflicted untold brutalities on Bengalis fighting for independence.

Rehabilitated like many other Jamaat leaders after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's assassination by military rulers, Mujahid was riding high on his tenure as a minister in the Khaleda Zia coalition government.

"There are no war criminals in the country, surely none at this moment," Mujahid, as part of a Jamaat-e-Islami delegation, told the Election Commission in 2007.

That sparked a huge outrage. Scores of social and political organisations, like the Sector Commanders Forum, hit the streets, demanding war crimes trials.

Families of the martyrs of 1971 Liberation War were most vocal demanding the trials of those responsible for the widespread brutalities in 1971.

The Sectors Commanders Forum asked all political parties to part ways with war criminals.

The Awami League was the first off the blocks. Its "Vision 2021" promised trial of the war criminals responsible for carrying out brutal acts in support of Pakistani occupation.

The issue became popular with the new voters of the election nearly four decades after the Liberation War.

Awami League secured a landslide victory and formed the International Crimes Tribunal on Mar 25, 2010. The investigation agency and prosecution team were formed on the same day.

A second tribunal was formed in 2012 to ensure speedy resolution of the long-pending war crimes trials. Mujahid’s war crimes case was heard there.

Quader Siddiqui-led Krishak Sramik Janata League, Ganotantri Party, Jatiya Party (Monju) and JSD (Rob) during their talks with the EC demanded disqualification of the anti-liberation forces and war criminals including the Jamaat.

Both the Awami League and BNP called on the EC to disallow Jamaat-e-Islami from using the scales of justice as its election symbol.

In an arrogant response to the matter, Ali Ahsan Mujahid told the media, "There is no war criminal in Bangladesh. Only 191 war criminals of the Pakistan Army were identified and the Awami League government had granted amnesty to them.”

"There is no anti-liberation force in the country, either. The January 22 election was forestalled because some parties had made irresponsible remarks about the issues," he added.

Asked what the role of Jamaat was during the 1971 war, he avoided a direct reply. "You find that out and evaluate."

Jamaat leaders Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Quader Molla, ATM Azharul Islam and Abdur Razzak were present in the meeting.

On Mar 31, 2010 Mujahid in a press conference at Jamaat’s headquarters reacted to the tribunal’s formation.

When asked whether siding with Pakistan was logical, he said, “Past is past. Don’t snoop around that stuff. Those who committed atrocities in 1971, why did you let them go? Why were they pardoned?”

He also dodged questions on whether Jamaat would apologise for its 1971 stand against the Liberation War, “It was a political decision at that time. No talk on that now.”

When asked why he was opposing the war crimes trial, the Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General said, “The matter was resolved 36 years back. A trial over that is out of the question.”