DHAKA/LAHORE: Violent clashes erupted in Bangladeshi on Friday, hours after a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party was executed for war crimes during the country’s 1971 independence war.
Abdul Kader Mullah was the first person to be hanged in central jail of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka for war crimes after he was convicted in February by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal established to investigate atrocities perpetrated during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
His execution took place at 10.01 pm (1601 GMT) after the Bangladesh’s top court headed by Chief Justice Muzammel Hussain had dismissed the appeal of Abdul Kader Mullah for a final review and upheld his death sentence.
On Tuesday night, Abdul Kader Mullah had got a stay of his execution hours before he was due to be executed at a jail in Dhaka on the grounds of alleged war crimes during the 1971 war.
According to reports, clashes erupted early on Friday in various towns and cities of the country as two activists from the ruling Awami League were killed in the southern town of Kalaroa.
The JI activists also firebombed train stations, set fire to pro-government businesses and blockaded roads.
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan on Thursday night condemned execution of Abdul Kader Mullah in Bangladesh and announced countrywide protest against his hanging on Friday (today).
In a statement, the JI Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan said that Pakistani government kept criminal silence over sentences of those patriotic Pakistanis, who supported army in Eastern Pakistan.
“If Pakistan regime had intended, these punishments could have been terminated by presenting that deal, signed by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehamn, in front of the world,” observed Munawar Hassan, saying, “Sacrifice of Abdul Qadir Mulla will not go waste,”.
Liaqat Baloch, the JI General Secretary, announced on the occasion that Abdul Kader Mullah’s funeral prayer, in absence, will be performed in Mansoora on Friday (today) and later on, protest would be launched across the country.
