The execution of a top leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on 12 December has earned fury from many national as well as international organisations as his funeral prayers in absentia in addition to condolence meetings were reported to have been offered in a dozen countries in Asia as well as in Africa and other continents. Abdul Qader Mollah, former Assistant Secretary General of BJI was hanged following the refusal of the country’s apex court to review his death sentence awarded by the controversial International Crime Tribunal, the credibility of which was challenged by different international human rights bodies and legal luminaries. Mollah was held guilty of killing some 300 civilians during the Bangladesh liberation war in early 1970s.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reportedly made a call to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hours before the hanging of Mollah and appealed to her to refrain from executing the opposition leader as it shows anti-democratic face of the country. The Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omari, also termed it as a brazen act of barbarism by Sheikh Hasina administration aimed at political vendetta. The Ameer further added that opposing any effort or tendency of secession and making effort for maintaining integrity of a country cannot be described as treason. “Criminalisation of the efforts of Abdul Qader Mollah and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and leaders of other parties and convicting them is a brazen act of barbarism, which cannot be justified,” stated Maulana Omari.
“None of these leaders were prosecuted and charge-sheeted during the regime of Sheikh Mujib and even after the independence of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has been a renowned political party of the country and played a constructive role both as a ruling and opposition party. In this democratic era, it is ridiculous that a ruling party, just as vendetta, would level wrong heinous charges against political opponents ignoring all the requirements of justice,” said Maulana Omari.
The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, also severely condemned the ‘hasty execution of a controversial verdict issued by a discredited and politicised tribunal.’ Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, president of the Majlis, said, “The hasty execution of Abdul Qadir Molla is a scandal and crime committed by an unpopular government which is about to be overthrown by the people of Bangladesh in the forthcoming general elections. The present government by its hurried execution of a controversial order by a discredited and politicised tribunal is only seeking to weaken opposition forces.”
Dr Khan further added, “It was totally unfair to revive closed cases after four decades defying the decision of the first President of Bangladesh.” He termed the hanging as ‘judicial murder’ which ‘will go into history as one of the sins and misdeeds of the present Bangladeshi ruler.’
Meanwhile, the International Jurist Union, which has representation of eminent jurists from as many as 32 countries, has published a report on judicial problems in Bangladesh, highlighting that the leaders of opposition political parties are being tried because of allegedly committing war crimes, and more than 5 thousand administrators and members of non-governmental organisations were arrested. The report is based on Union’s recent visit to Bangladesh following the restarting of prosecution of so-called war criminals in the country.