Dhaka court hands down death term to JI businessman
Court finds Mir Quasem Ali guilty of 10 charges, including murder and abduction, during the 1971 war
DHAKA:
Another key figure of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was sentenced to death on Sunday for alleged war crimes, days after the party’s leader was ordered to hang for similar offences.
A war crimes court found wealthy businessman Mir Quasem Ali, an official of the Jamaat, guilty of 10 charges, including murder and abduction, during the 1971 war.
Quasem Ali, 63, stood up and loudly protested the verdict as the head judge announced the sentence in a packed courtroom. “It’s a motivated judgement,” he said, accusing the court of acting on instructions from the secular government.
Quasem Ali, who owns a television station and newspaper aligned with Jamaat, was convicted of running a torture cell of a pro-Pakistani militia that allegedly carried out killings.
“Quasem Ali has been sentenced to death for the murder of a teenager, Jashim,” prosecutor Ziad Al Malum told reporters.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2014.
Another key figure of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was sentenced to death on Sunday for alleged war crimes, days after the party’s leader was ordered to hang for similar offences.
A war crimes court found wealthy businessman Mir Quasem Ali, an official of the Jamaat, guilty of 10 charges, including murder and abduction, during the 1971 war.
Quasem Ali, 63, stood up and loudly protested the verdict as the head judge announced the sentence in a packed courtroom. “It’s a motivated judgement,” he said, accusing the court of acting on instructions from the secular government.
Quasem Ali, who owns a television station and newspaper aligned with Jamaat, was convicted of running a torture cell of a pro-Pakistani militia that allegedly carried out killings.
“Quasem Ali has been sentenced to death for the murder of a teenager, Jashim,” prosecutor Ziad Al Malum told reporters.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2014.