DHAKA: A senior Bangladeshi politician was sentenced to life in prison by a war crimes tribunal on Tuesday for mass murder and crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. Riots have started in several Bangladesh cities against the verdict. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina initiated in 2010 the process of trying those accused of war crimes during the war with Pakistan over 40 years ago.
The 64-year-old Abdul Quader Molla, the fourth-highest leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was the first politician to be found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal, a much-criticised domestic court based in Dhaka. He allegedly supported Al Badr squad of Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan for alleged massacre of Banglalis.
The judgment sparked protests by Jamaat, the country’s largest Islamic party which staged a nationwide strike on Tuesday in anticipation of the conviction. It warned it would resist “at any cost a government blueprint” to execute its leaders.
“He deserved death sentence because of the gravity of the crimes. But the judge gave him life imprisonment,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, adding Molla “had directly participated” in the killing of over 350 people near Dhaka. The counsel for Molla, Nazim Momen, said that they would appeal the verdict as it was “politically motivated”.
Supporters of the country’s largest Islamic party exploded homemade bombs and clashed with police in the capital, leaving several injured, according to ATN News.
Police arrested at least 77 protesters after firing teargas and bullets, the DPA news agency reported.
“Law enforcement agencies were put on high alert to handle the situation,” said Monirul Islam, the deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
DND
