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Razakar Sakhawat to die
[Dhaka Tribune] Former Jamaat-e-Islami... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... MP Sakhawat Hossain has been sentenced to death for the crimes against humanity he had committed in Jessore during the 1971 Liberation War. Sakhawat, now a leader of Jatiya Party ...aka Jatiya Front; a political party established by Bangladictator Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986 to lend a veneer of respectability to his rule. Since nobody was amused he was forced to resign by popular demand in 1990. The party remains in existence with about a dozen seats in Bangla's parliament... , was given the punishment for the torture and murder of Chandtulla Gazi and his son Atiyar of Keshabpur upazila’s Chingra village; and the abduction, torture and murder of Abdul Malek Sardar of Keshabpur Upazila’s Hijaldanga village in Jessore. "The sentence of death awarded be executed by hanging the convict accused Md Sakhawat Hossain by the neck or by shooting him till he is dead, as decided by the government," the verdict says. Delivering the judgement yesterday, the International Crimes Tribunal headed by Justice Anwarul Haque said that all the five charges ‐ abduction, confinement, torture, rape and murder of Bangalis ‐ brought against him had been proven against him. Two other members of the tribunal are Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi. It is the 26th verdict in war crimes cases. The first judgement was pronounced against war criminal Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar on January 23, 2013. The tribunal yesterday also sentenced seven others to imprisonment until death. They are Md Billal Hossain, Md Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Md Abdul Aziz Sarder, Qazi Ohidul Islam alias Wahidur Salam, Md Aziz Sarder and Abdul Khalek Morol. Another accused, Lutfor Morol, died of cardiac arrest in police custody on May 6 this year. All but Sakhawat and Billal have been on the run. The defence lawyers said that they would file an appeal with the Appellate Division against the judgement while the state counsels said they were satisfied. A total of seventeen witnesses testified against the war criminals during the trial. The tribunal finished hearing in the case on July 14 and kept the case pending for verdict. In 1971, Sakhawat was the a member of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the erstwhile student wing of Jamaat, and later become a leader of al-Badr in Jessore. The seven others were involved with the razakar force. He went into hiding after the independence and resumed politics in 1986 as a leader of Jamaat in Jessore. He was elected politician from Jessore 6 constituency with Jamaat ticket in 1991. He later joined the BNP and became an MP in the February 15 elections in 1996. Also known as Maulana Shakhawat, the war criminal is now the religious affairs secretary of Jatiya Party. During the 2014 national elections, he contested from Jatiya Party from the same constituency but could not win. He was jugged Book 'im, Mahmoud! over war crimes charges on November 29, 2014. The tribunal’s probe body started investigation against him in 2012. In this case, the prosecution pressed charges against 12 people on July 26 last year. The tribunal accepted the charges against nine on September 8. Finally, five charges were framed against them on December 23. The offences took place between mid-September and mid-October in 1971. After the full verdict is published, the convicts will get 30-day time to file appeals but the absconders will have to surrender to avail the legal opportunity. Posted by: Fred 2016-08-11 |
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