The Dhaka Times Desk The International Criminal Tribunal has sentenced former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Azam to life imprisonment. The International Criminal Tribunal-1 gave this verdict in a crowded court today.
At around 11:00am, the judge began delivering his verdict and the 243-page summary of the original judgment was read out. Shortly before 2 o'clock in the final judgment, the former Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami, Prof. Ghulam Azam, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Even after 5 charges leveled against him were proved, the court gave this verdict considering his age. The court awarded a total of 90 years imprisonment in 5 cases.
The arguments of the state and the accused in the case against Golam Azam were heard in the tribunal number 1 consisting of Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque. At that time, the prosecution demanded the death penalty for Ghulam Azam. The accused demanded his acquittal.
According to the official complaint, Ghulam Azam fled to Pakistan on November 22, 1971. His citizenship was revoked on 18 April 1973. On August 11, 1978, Golam Azam came to Bangladesh with a three-month visa on a Pakistani passport. Didn't go back after that.
How the trial begins
After the Awami League-led grand coalition came to power, the International Criminal Tribunal, investigation agency and prosecution were formed to try the crimes against humanity of 1971. The investigating agency started an investigation against Ghulam Azam on August 1, 2010. Based on the investigation report, on December 12, 2011, the chief counsel for the state submitted a formal complaint to the tribunal. However, citing it as 'unorganized' and 'untidy', the tribunal directed to re-submit the complaint. When the state re-filed the complaint, the tribunal took it into consideration and asked Ghulam Azam to appear on January 11 last year. Accordingly, when he appeared before the tribunal and applied for bail, it was rejected and he was sent to jail. But later due to old age he was kept in BSMMU hospital jail. On May 13, the tribunal framed five charges against him. Testimony begins from July 1. 16 people testified for the state, one for the accused. Argument presentation started from February 17 this year.
As many complaints
The tribunal framed five charges of crimes against humanity against Ghulam Azam. These are the charges of conspiracy, planning, incitement, collaboration and killing and torture of crimes against humanity and similar international crimes. 61 incidents were mentioned in the complaint. In the formal complaint filed against Ghulam Azam, the prosecution cited 62 counts of crimes against humanity.
1. Conspiracy charges: The first charge against Ghulam Azam is conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity. Six incidents were mentioned in the complaint. Among them, on April 4, 1971, a delegation of 12 members including Ghulam Azam, Nurul Amin, Maulvi Farid Ahmed, Khawaja Khairuddin, AKM Shafiqul Islam, Maulan Nuruzzaman, Hamidul Haque Chowdhury, Mohsin Uddin Ahmed, AT Saadi from the then 'B' region of East Pakistan. Met the Martial Law Administrator Tikka Khan and conspired to form the Citizens' Peace Committee. In continuation of this conspiracy, he held a high-level meeting with Pakistan President Yahya Khan in Rawalpindi and suggested increasing the strength of the Razakar forces to counter the freedom fighters.
2. Planning charges: The second charge has accused Ghulam Azam of planning crimes against humanity. It mentions three incidents. It is said that Golam Azam and others formed a 140-member Citizens' Peace Committee in Dhaka on April 9 as part of a plan to form peace committees across the country in a meeting with Tikka Khan. A meeting of the Peace Committee was held under the chairmanship of Khwaja Khairuddin at the residence of AQM Shafiqul Islam on Elephant Road, in which Ghulam Azam was present. There plans were made to form peace committees in various unions of Dhaka city.
3. Allegation of incitement: In the third charge sheet against Ghulam Azam, 28 incidents of incitement to crimes against humanity have been mentioned. These incidents include Ghulam Azam in a statement on April 7, referring to the freedom fighters as 'Indian intruders' and saying that they would be destroyed wherever they were found. In a statement after the meeting of the Peace Committee on April 22, he called the members of the affiliated organizations to destroy the common citizens of the country by referring to them as 'patriotic citizens'. He praised the activities of 'Operation Searchlight', called the freedom fighters traitors and termed their activities as anti-state activities. In 1971, he gave provocative and exciting speeches against the freedom fighters in meetings organized in Rajshahi, Brahmanbaria, Khulna, Kushtia etc. Apart from this, he held meetings at different places and incited the Razakars and Albadars against the freedom fighters.
4. Allegation of Complicity: The fourth charge against Ghulam Azam alleges 23 counts of complicity or complicity in crimes against humanity. Ghulam Azam and others met Tikka Khan on April 4 and 6 and assured cooperation. As a member of the Central Working Committee of the Peace Committee, he assured full cooperation to the Pakistani Army. On June 19, he met President Yahya Khan in Rawalpindi and asked him to cooperate with the army and supply arms to Razakar, Albadar, Alshams forces to fight the freedom fighters.
5. Allegations of killing and torture: In the latest complaint against Ghulam Azam, an incident of killing and torture has been mentioned. It is said that Siru Mia of Ramakrishnapur village of Comilla's Homna Police Station was working as Daroga (Sub-Inspector) in Mohammadpur Police Station of Dhaka in 1971. When the liberation war started, he went to his home in Comilla with his wife Anwara Begum and 14-year-old son Anwar Kamal on March 28. There Siru Mia used to help the refugees to travel to India. On October 27, around 10 am, Siru Mia and his son, along with six others, were caught by the Razakars on their way to India near the Tantar check post of Kasba police station. They were taken to Razakar camp and sent to Brahmanbaria jail after a few days of torture. Siru contacted Mia's wife Golam Azam after getting the news about the arrest of husband and child. Siru Mia's sister-in-law was the teacher of Ghulam Azam's two sons. He requested Ghulam Azam to release Siru Mia and his son. Golam Azam sent a letter to Payara Mia, leader of the Brahmanbaria Peace Committee, ordering the killing of Siru Mia and his son. After receiving the letter, Siru Mia along with 39 people were taken out of the jail by Pakistani soldiers with the help of Razakar and Albadar and taken to Pairtala railway bridge on the night of Eid. There, 38 people were killed by Pakistani soldiers, but one survived.
It is to be noted that the biggest scandal of the nation started on January 21 with the execution of Abul Kalam Azad known as Bachchu Razakar in Faridpur. After that, the verdict was announced one by one against Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Mollah, known as Butcher of Mirpur, Jamaat Naib Amir Delawar Hossain Saeedi, known as Deilla Razakar in Pirojpur, and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.
After the judicial proceedings of the case against Ghulam Azam, on April 17, the 1st Tribunal headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir kept it pending for the pronouncement of judgment (CAV).
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