Azhar to die for war crimes

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) condemned Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam to death on Tuesday for his crimes against humanity, including genocide, during the Liberation War in 1971, report agencies.

The verdict drew angry reaction from the Jamaat that called dawn-to-dusk hartals for today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) across the country.

With the 61-year-old detained Jamaat leader in the dock, tribunal chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim, flanked by its two other members-Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque-pronounced the summary of its seventh judgment containing 158 pages at 12:44 pm in a crowded courtroom amid tight security.

ATM Azhar was tried as a 1971 Rangpur commander of Al Badr, a secret killing squad of Jamaat-e-Islami. Azharul, who faced six counts of charge, was awarded capital punishment on three counts of charge like murder, rape and genocide as crimes against humanity and rigorous imprisonment for 25 and 5 years on almost two similar counts of charge - abduction, confinement, torture and sexual violence.

The tribunal, however, acquitted him of one charge involving murder, abduction, confinement and torture, as the prosecution failed to prove the charge beyond doubt.

Shortly after pronouncement of the judgment, Jamaat acting ameer Moqbul Ahmad announced the two-day shutdown programme through a press statement protesting what the party termed the government's plot to kill Azhar.

As per the party's announcement, they will enforce hartal from 6am to 5:30pm on Wednesday and again from 6am to 5:30pm on Thursday. The party urged people from all walks of life to make their hartals a success.