‘The tribunal has done no justice’

The war crimes verdict on Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali has not done justice, the defence has said after the former commander of Al-Badr in Chittagong was sentenced to death.

“This sentence cannot be delivered based on what the prosecution has provided as evidence. They have failed to prove anything,” lawyer Mizanur Rahman told reporters outside the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday.

Mir Quasem Ali, Jamaat’s executive council or ‘Sura’ member, was the president of the party’s student front, Islami Chhatra Sangha, of its Chittagong unit in 1971. He was also made general secretary of the East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha that year.

“The tribunal was wrong to transform Islami Chhatra Sangha into Al-Badr in its judgment,” he said.

“We don’t believe it was the right verdict, the prosecution has failed to provide documents to prove his presence in Chittagong when the said crimes were committed.”

Mir Quasem was actually in Dhaka, the lawyer said, adding that an appeal will be filed against the verdict. The convict’s son Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, a barrister, was present while he talked to reporters.

Meanwhile, the prosecution said awarding death sentence to the Al-Badr commander from Chittagong has relieved Bangladesh from a ‘culture of impunity’.