World

Bangladesh hangs religious party leader for 1971 war crimes

Motiur Rahman Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister, was hanged at 12.01am local time

Reuters May 10, 2016

Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. PHOTO: REUTERS

DHAKA: Bangladesh hanged religious party leader Motiur Rahman Nizami on Wednesday for war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence to break away from Pakistan, the law minister said, in a move that could draw an angry reaction from his supporters.

Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged at Dhaka Central jail after the Supreme Court rejected his final plea against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the war.

Pakistan concerned at JI chief’s death sentence

Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister, was hanged at 12.01am local time, Law Minister Anisul Haq told Reuters.

Thousands of extra police and border guards were deployed in Dhaka and other major cities to tighten security.

COMMENTS (23)

Shahid Akram | 8 years ago | Reply India was irrelevant and InshaAllah will be irrelevant for future as well. 1.2 billion and just busy in buying gold.

Amir | 8 years ago | Reply At least Bangladesh is standing up to fundos. here we appease them, give them protection, so they can wreck havoc on the ignorant population. It is time Pakistan takes it's assets to task

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Abbas | 8 years ago | Reply Its Bangladesh internal issue , Please do not interfere in it.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply @Alex Norman:

If this Nawaz government has any shame, they should recall the ambassador from Bangladesh in protest.

I suspect Bangladeshis might welcome that.

bajwa | 8 years ago | Reply Had Pakistan done the same with his mullahs, things would have been very different today.

Tp | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan is an irrelevant nation today. The world knows all about its duplicity.

Sid | 8 years ago | Reply @Abdullah: Pakistan is used to glorifying and protecting convicted rapists, and killers simply because they were acting against India. It is simply unbelievable how you guys live with so much hate in you.

Barratt | 8 years ago | Reply I wait with baited breath for Pakistan to stand tall and prosecute the leaders of that genocide in East Pakistan In fact I wonder if they will stop denying this , and stop blaming India for that secession .

Alex Norman | 8 years ago | Reply Shame on you Mr. Prime Minister for not condemning this heinous crime. What will it take for the Pakistani nation to wake up and take notice of this judicial murder.

Dipak | 8 years ago | Reply His brother Majeed Nizami used to sell newspaper in Lahore.

truthbetold | 8 years ago | Reply Congratulations to BD government for catching and hanging perpetrators of genocide. BD is wll on its way to eradicate terrorism and sail on a path of democracy and progress. If Pakistanis are serious about making their country a progressive and civilized one, they should study Bangladesh's example.

Asok | 8 years ago | Reply @Adbullah, what has it got to do with Pakistan? He was a Bangladeshi citizen.

Ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply @Abdullah: Any level Pakistan takes it up will get the finger.

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply Bangladesh is committing war crimes.

ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply My condolences to Pakistan. From Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, everyone is on a mission to reduce Pakistan's population.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply @Abdullah:

Pakistan should protest at highest level.

Protest all you want. See if anyone cares.

diaz | 8 years ago | Reply why did we had to refuse to accept the election result of 1970 ? the election of 1970 was held under the then Pakistan Army. there was no rigging of the election.

Babbarsher Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Even though I am against death penalty but feel that elimination of this kind of characters is not bad thing. If we want to make our "Islamic Republic" also a normal, functioning and civilized republic, we should "weed out" the ideological soul mates of this character from our society. Even-though this weeding out does not have to be physical elimination like Bangladesh.

Invictus | 8 years ago | Reply I hope this reminds all the rapist/murderers throughout the World that Justice doesn't fade with time.

Apostate | 8 years ago | Reply Well I have to appreciate Banglali judicial system that at least they realize the very basic issue of extremism, hate and intolerance in a their Muslim majority society. These religious leaders are nothing but hate mongers which is true to this story. A Farmer walked through his field one cold winter morning. On the ground lay a Snake, stiff and frozen with the cold. The Farmer knew how deadly the Snake could be, and yet he picked it up and put it in his bosom to warm it back to life. The Snake soon revived, and when it had enough strength, bit the man who had been so kind to it. The bite was deadly and the Farmer felt that he must die. “Oh,” cried the Farmer with his last breath, “I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel". Decision is yours!

Alex Norman | 8 years ago | Reply Shame on the people of Pakistan for not protesting this heinous crime committed by the Bangladesh government. They should not forget this was a sham trial orchestrated by the Indian dominated Awami League. This man fought for the unity of Pakistan and this is what he gets. If this Nawaz government has any shame, they should recall the ambassador from Bangladesh in protest.

Srinivasulu Mekala | 8 years ago | Reply In a report the foreign office in Pakistan said: “We have also been following the reaction of the international community to the controversial trials in Bangladesh, related to events of 1971,” No international community had ever adversely commented upon these trials. Then, Pakistan is yet to take millions of urdu speaking Bihari Muslims, who supported Pakistan in Bangladesh in 1971, into Pakistan by giving them citizenship, If you point one finger at others, four will point at you.

Abdullah | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan should protest at highest level. THis is nothing but a vendetta by Indias puppet Hasina

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