DHAKA: Several significant verdicts, including war crimes, Bishwajit killing and BDR carnage trials, were pronounced in 2013.
The major verdicts are as follows:
Abul Kalam Azad Verdict on January 21: International Crimes Tribunal-2 has awarded death sentence to Abul Kalam Azad, also known as Bachchu Razakar, by hanging for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971.
ICT Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan pronounced the verdict.
Azad, who faced eight charges of crimes against humanity committed in 1971, had been tried in absentia.
The verdict was delivered at the room of International Crimes Tribunal-1 following space crisis in the courtroom due to huge presence of people particularly journalists and lawyers at the court room.
Azad was active in Jamaat-e-Islami but was later expelled from the political party, according to an investigation agency.
On March 25, 2012, three days after the Tribunal-2 was formed, the prosecution submitted a petition for issuing arrest warrant against Azad, also a close associate of another war-crimes accused Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
It asked for the warrant as an investigation was going on against him in connection with crimes against humanity.
On April 3, 2012, the tribunal issued the warrant but Azad had made a run for it.
Sayedee Verdict on February 27: International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi to death for crimes committed during the country’s 1971 war of independence.
Arrested in June 2010, he was found guilty of mass murder, rape and other charges during the 1971 conflict.
The special court was set up in 2010 by the current Bangladeshi government to deal with those accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop East Pakistan (as Bangladesh was then) from becoming an independent country.
Ghulam Azam Verdict on July 15: A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal found the spiritual leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party guilty of masterminding atrocities during the country’s 1971 war of independence.
In its ruling the International Crimes Tribunal found 91-year-old Ghulam Azam guilty of 61 charges including murder and torture during Bangladesh’s war with Pakistan. The tribunal’s three judges said although Azam’s offences warranted death penalty, it would instead sentence him to 90 years in jail, out of consideration for his advanced age.
Azam, who led Jamaat-e-Islami from 1969-2000 and is still seen as its spiritual leader, was one of the most prominent figures opposed to Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan, believing that it would divide Muslims.
He is accused of colluding with the Pakistani military junta at the time, and playing a pivotal role in setting up the infamous National Peace Committee, which mobilized the Razakars, an auxiliary force to the Pakistani army, against Bangladeshi freedom fighters.
Mujahid Verdict on July 17: International Crimes Tribunal has given death sentence to Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid on “Crimes against Humanity during 1971”.
International Crimes Tribunal-2 headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan and consisting of Justice Mujibur Rahman Mia and Shahinur Islam gave this verdict.
5 of the 7 allegations brought against him were proven without doubt. This is the 4th verdict of tribunal 2 and 6th overall of International Crimes Tribunal
SQ Chowdhury Verdict on October 1: BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was sentenced to death for his involvement in crimes against humanity during liberation war in 1971.
International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 his guilty of nine charges out of total allegations of war crimes including genocide and killings.
Alim Verdict on October 9: The International Crimes Tribunal-2 delivered the judgment where it found Alim, a former minister of the BNP, guilty of crimes such as murder, genocide and loot.
It said the 83-year old deserved death for the war crimes but handed down the life sentence to him considering his age and disability.
Once a Muslim League leader who went on to serve Ziaur Rahman as a minister, Alim is the second BNP leader to be convicted and the third former minister to be found guilty of crimes committed to stop Bangladesh emerge as a sovereign nation.
ICT-2 Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan said the prosecution had been able to prove Alim’s involvement beyond a shadow of doubt in nine of the 17 charges.
Ashraf, Moin Verdict on November 3: A tribunal in Bangladesh`s capital Dhaka handed down the death penalty to two non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in absentia for crimes against humanity committed during the country`s war of independence in 1971.
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 pronounced the verdict on crimes against humanity case, awarding death sentences to Chowdhury Moinuddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, who were allegedly leaders of Al-Badar, an auxiliary group of the then Pakistan army.
Justice Obaidul Hassan, head judge of ICT-2, announced that all the 11 charges, which include mass killings, murder, genocide and conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the country`s Liberation War in 1971, against Al-Badar leaders were proved beyond reasonable doubt.
BDR Verdict on November 5: A Dhaka court awarded death to 152, including a deputy assistant director of Bangladesh Rifles, and life imprisonment to 161 others for their role in the February 2009 carnage at Pilkhana, Headquarters of the paramilitary force now renamed Border Guard Bangladesh.
Over four and half years after the brutal killings that left 74 people including 57 army officers, the court handed another 262 people, who include BDR jawans, rigorous imprisonment ranging from three to 10 years.
The rest 271 accused were acquitted as their involvement with the carnage could not be proved.
The judgement in the much-talked-about crime, which shook the whole nation for its brutality unleashed over two days beginning on February 25 morning, came six days after it was first scheduled for pronouncement .
Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Court of Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s in Dhaka announced the verdict at the makeshift court set up at Bakshibazar in the capital.
Khalaf Verdict on November 18: The High Court (HC) upheld the death penalty of one and acquitted another person of the five condemned convicts in connection with the Saudi Embassy official Khalaf Al Ali murder case.
The HC sentenced three others to life term imprisonment in the killing case.
In the verdict, the HC bench comprising Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Kazi Md Ezarul Haque Akondo uphold the death sentence of Saiful Islam Mamun for killing Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, 45, a second secretary at the embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), who was shot death on March 6 last year near the embassy in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone.
Soon after his murder, on December 30 last year a special tribunal sentenced five persons to death on charges of killing him.
Tribunal Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain handed down the verdict on December 30, 2012 about two months after the trial began in October.
Quader Mollah Verdict on December 12: A full bench of the Supreme Court appellate division rejected the plea for filing review petition by the war crimes convict Quader Mollah.
The five-member full bench led by Chief Justice M Mozammel Hossen passed the order.
On November 24, justices who passed the verdict completed writing their parts of the judgment. Later, the chief justice compiled into a full-text verdict.
On September 17, the Appellate division of the Supreme Court sentenced Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah to death for committing crimes against humanity during liberation war in 1971.
Bishwajit Verdict on December 18: A Dhaka court awarded death penalty to eight men and life imprisonment to 13 others for their involvement in much-talked-about tailor man Biswajit murder case.
Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 judge ABM Nizamul Haque pronounced the verdict.
All the convicts are the activists and leaders of Chhatra League of Jagannath University.
On March 5, Detective Branch of Police submitted the charge sheet against the 21 accused.
Tailoring shop employee Biswajit Das who was chopped to death by the BCL workers near the Bahadur Shah Park in the old city during the opposition’s countrywide blockade programme on December 9, 2012.
BDST: 2055 HRS, DEC 31, 2013
Edited by: Golam Rosul, Newsroom Editor/M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor
