Bangladesh executes two war criminals

By

Sheuli Akter

Bangladesh have executed two war criminals for comitting crimes against humanity during the country’s liberation in 1971.

Jahangir Kabir, a Dhaka Jail official, told journalists that “The war criminals were hanged at 12:55 a.m. (local time) after completion of all legal procedures.”

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP),were hanged in jail in the capital Dhaka hours after President Abdul Hamid rejected their mercy pleas.

Before their execution their family members met them at the jail in Dhaka for the last time.

Bangladesh’s highest court on Nov. 18  dismissed the final review petitions of the two war crimes death row inmates paving the way for their executions.

Earlier in August, 2013 the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2  awarded death sentence to Mojaheed who was a a cabinet member in the government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in 2001-2006.

Later in October 2013 the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 issued death penalty verdict against Chowdhury who also served as the adviser of parliamentary affairs to the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in 2001-2006.

Chowdhury’s BNP and Mojaheed’s Jamaat have dismissed the tribunals as a government “show trial” and said they are domestic set-ups without the oversight or involvement of the United Nations.

Almost 40 years after the 1971 fight for independence from Pakistan, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, established the first tribunal in March 2010.

Hasina’s government says about 3 million people were killed in the 9-month war. Bangladesh was called East Pakistan until 1971.

In April this year, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, also a leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, was executed  for crimes against humanity committed during the country ‘s war of independence in 1971.

Another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla, also convicted of war crimes, was executed on Dec. 12, 2013.

Sheuli Akter

Sheuli Akter, from Bangladesh, is a Special Correspondent and Editor of NsNewsWire, (Bangladesh’s First Press Newswire). She also gained an honourable mention in the first ever World Media Summit WMS Awards for ‘Exemplary News Professionals in Developing Countries’, receiving the award in Beijing in January 2015.