DHAKA: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 Tuesday awarded death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam for committing crimes against humanity and other offences during the 1971 Liberation War.
A three-member judge panel led by Justice Enayetur Rahim handed down the verdict around 12:30pm.
The tribunal found Azharul, an Al-Badr commander of Rangpur, former president of the Rangpur district unit Islami Chhatra Sangha, then-student wing of the Jamaat, guilty in five out of six charges, including genocide, killing, rape, abduction, forced confinement, torture, and looting, committed during the Liberation War.
The charge numbers are: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Three charges for which Azharul was awarded death penalty are:
2nd Charge
A total of 15 unarmed Bangalees of Dhap Para in Badarganj were shot dead on April 16, 1971 and houses of the village were torched after looting. Azhar was “involved” in these atrocities.
3rd Charge
Azhar was “involved” in killing over 1,200 unarmed Bangalees of Jharuar Beel of Badarganj were killed on April 17, 1971.
4th Charge
Azhar was “involved” in the abduction and killing of four professors of Rangpur Carmichael College and the wife of one of them. They were abducted from their houses on the college campus and shot dead near Damdama Bridge on April 30, 1971.
Two other charges, for which Azharul was awarded 30-years imprisonment, are;
5th Charge (25 years)
Azhar was “involved’ in torturing a person of Gupta Para at Rangpur town in mid-November.
6th Charge (5 years)
On December 1, 1971, another person was abducted from Betpatti of the town and was tortured in confinement in the Muslim Hostel of Rangpur College.
According the verdict, Azharul was president of Islami Chhatra Sangha, Rangpur district unit, and al-Badr commander of the district when studying class XI student at Carmichael College there. He maintained a good relation with the Pakistani army.
He gathered information on the freedom fighters, pro-liberation Banglee and Hindu people and provided it to the Pakistani army. He was actively involved with the Pakistani army carrying put in genocide, killing, abduction, forced confinement, and planning torture and committed during the Liberation War.
The tribunal found him guilty of holding superior responsibility as he was the leader of Al-Badr.
Earlier, a prison van carrying Azharul reached the court premises in the morning. He was later produced before the court at 10:53am.
61-year-old Azharul was arrested from his residence in the city’s Moghbazar area hours after the tribunal had issued an arrest warrant against him on August 22, 2012.
The tribunal indicted him on November 12, 2013 year and the prosecution produced its first witness on December 26 the same year.
A total of 19 prosecution witnesses testified against Azharul while the defense produced a witness only.
On September 18, the tribunal kept the judgment ‘CAV’ (curia advisari vult or keeping the judgment until a later time). The tribunal fixed Tuesday the date to deliver verdict on December 29 (Monday).
Prosecutors Ziad Al Malum, Barrister Turin Afroz, and Tapas Kanti Pal moved for the state in the cases while Shishir Manir was the defense counsels.
BDST: 1213/1351 HRS, DEC 30, 2014
** ICT reading out Azharul verdict
** Azharul taken to court
