Life prisoner Alim dies

Former BNP minister Abdul Alim, who was sentenced to life in jail unto death for his offences in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, died of cancer on Saturday afternoon.  

Physicians said the 83-year-old breathed his last at 1:15pm at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the cardiovascular unit at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

Alim, who had been suffering from lung cancer, was put on life support on August 27.

"He had been suffering from cancer since October 2013. Alim had been sent into ICU on August 27, 2014. A medical board was formed for his treatment. But, it was not possible to give him chemotherapy as cancer had severely developed in his body," BSMMU Hospital Director Brig-General Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told reporters.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on October 9 last year sentenced him to imprisonment till death--commuting his capital punishment because of his "old age, ill health and physical disability"--for his involvement in "crimes humanity and genocide" during the Liberation War.

He was convicted of four charges for his role during the war against the then Pakistani regime. He was also awarded 20 years' jail on four more charges and 10 years' on another charge.

The former minister appealed to the Supreme Court (SC) against the tribunal verdict on November 7, 2013.

Alim was arrested in Joypurhat on March 27, 2011 for his wartime offences.

Born on November 1, 1930 in West Bengal of India, Alim with his family migrated to Joypurhat in 1950. In 1958, he joined the Muslim League.

He was an influential leader of the Convention Muslim League and Vice-Chairman of Bogra District Council in 1971. He was also chairman of Peace Committee in Joypurhat during the Liberation War, media reports said.

After Ziaur Rahman took over amid chain of events following the August 15, 1975 changeover, Alim was made minister in 1978. He also joined Zia's then newly formed party, BNP, according to the information placed before the tribunal.

He was elected lawmaker from Joypurhat in 1979, 1996 and 2001 elections.