DHAKA: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Tuesday awarded death penalty to Syed Mohammad Qaisar, a former Jatiya Party state minister, for committing crimes against humanity and other offences during the 1971 Liberation War.
A three-member judge panel of ICT-2 led by Justice Obaidul Hasan gave the capital punishment at 12:05pm in seven charges brought against him.
Tribunal, however, found the founder of Qaisar Bahini guilty in 14 charges out of 16 charges including of genocide, rape, killing, attack, arson and lootings committed during the Liberation War.
The charge numbers are: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16.
Seven charges for which Qaisar was awarded death penalty are:
3rd Charge
Killing four people and loot and arson at Krishnanagar village under Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj district on April 27, 1971;
5th Charge
Abduction of Dr Saleh Uddin Ahmed and Hirok Changra Ray and torturing them to death in Punarbazar Point under Sadar upazila of Habiganj district on April 29, 1971;
6th Charge
Looting and torching about 40 to 50 houses in the district town of Habiganj on April 30, 1971;
8th Charge
Killing of eight people, including Abdul Aziz, Abdul Gafur, Nur Ali, and Abdul Ali at Lohadaha under Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj district on May 15, 1971;
10th Charge
Abduction, confinement, torture and killing of Sha Firoz Ali and abduction and torture of Sabu Mian in Shahazadi Bazar of Habiganj upazila on June 16, 1971;
12th Charge
Abduction of three people including a woman in Belagar area and Jagadish High School under Madhabpur upzila of Habiganj district on August 18, 1971;
16th Charge
Killing of 108 people in 21 villages including Daura, Gitma, Baghi, Shyampur and Kargram under Nasirnagar upazila - formerly Vatpara – of Brahmanbaria district on December 15, 1971.
Four charges for which he was given lifetime imprisonment are:
1st Charge
Qaisar and his Qaisar Bahini was involved in killing of Shahjahan chairman, injuring Nayeb Ali, attacking and looting in Kazibari under Bijoynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district on April 27, 1971;
9th Charge
Killing of eight people in Shayestaganj Godown, Barbahula and Lenjapara areas Sadar upazila of Habiganj district on June 13, 1971;
13th Charge
Abducting, torturing and killing of four freedom fighters including Muhubullah, Abdus Shahid, Akbar Ali and Zahir Hosain at Chunarughat Tea Garden under Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj on August 18, 1971, later;
14th Charge
Abducting and killing of Siraj Ali, Wahed Ali, Akkas Ali and Abdus Sattar from Mouzpur, Jagdishpur Armi Camp and Sonai Nadi Bridge area under Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj district on September 29, 1971.
Three other charges, for which Qaiser was awarded imprisonment in different terms, are:
2nd Charge (10 years)
Looting and torching around 150 houses and shops in Madhabpur Bazar and Katiara under Madhabpur uapzila of Habiganj district on April 27, 1971;
7th Charge (7 years)
Qaisar and his forces assisted Pak Army in raping of an indigenous Santal woman at Chandpur Tea Garden under Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj district on May 11, 1971;
11th Charge (5 years)
Killing of Golam Rasul and torturing his family members in Nasirnagar under Haripur upazila of Brahmanbaria district on June 23, 1971.
Earlier, a prison van carrying Qaisar reached the court premises in the morning. He was later produced before the court at 8:45am.
After the independence, he fled to London and returned home in 1975. In 1979, he contested the national polls as an independent candidate and was elected as a lawmaker, followed by joining the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) then.
During HM Ershad’s regime, Qaisar joined Jatiya Party and became a state minister for agriculture.
On May 16, police arrested Qaisar from a city’s private hospital a day after the tribunal had issued an arrest warrant against him.
Prosecutors Ziad Al Malum Barrister, Turin Afroz, Ziad Al Malum and Tapas Kanti Pal moved for the state in the cases while SM Shajahan and Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar were the defense counsels.
BDST: 1332 HRS, DEC 23, 2014
