Pro-liberation elements are delighted with the death sentence of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed – but they insist it is speedily executed.
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Wednesday ordered the top Al-Badr commander be ‘hanged by the neck’ for his crimes against humanity during the War of Independence in 1971.
After the verdict, Sector Commanders Forum Senior Vice-Chairman KM Shafiullah told bdnews24.com: “Mujaheed deserves this punishment. We are satisfied with this verdict.”
But the verdict needs to be executed immediately, he stressed.
The families of freedom fighters, martyrs and organisations that uphold the spirit of the Liberation War all came out in support of the verdict.
That included the Muktijoddha Sangsad Santan Command, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote Presdient Nasiruddin Yusuf Bacchu, actress Shimul Yusuf and Dhaka University History department teacher Muntasir Mamun.
Meanwhile, freedom fighter Jahir Uddin Jalal, one of the key witnesses in the Mujaheed case, said he was happy but would be happier if the verdict be executed soonest possible.
Jalal, popular as Bicchu Jalal, in his immediate reaction, told bdnews24.com: “I am so happy and overwhelmed by this verdict.”
“Though we are satisfied, we’ll be happy when the verdict is executed. Jamaat must be rooted out from this land. Every war criminal must be hanged.”
“No one will understand what kind of torture the Mujaheed-Nizami combine unleashed on us. They supervised horrific torture sessions in lockups. They put our mothers and sisters at the hands of the Punjabi-Pathan troops,” said Jalal. “Those who did not see it can never feel it. The Razakars would have hanged freedom fighters to death if they were in power now.”
Jalal came to be known as ‘Bicchu Jalal’ (Scorpion Jalal) for his exemplary courage and agility during the guerilla attacks of the Liberation War.
Prosecutor Turin Afroz expressed satisfaction over the verdict. “They thought the struggle will be over with the murder of the intellectuals. But they received maximum penalty through this verdict.”
Freedom fighter Sahidul Haque said, “Today I showed the victory sign before I entered the court. My heart was ravaged by the Ghulam Azam’s verdict. But today I am at peace.”
He demanded that BNP publicly apologise for making Mujaheed Social Welfare Minister of the country whose creation he so heinously opposed.
Of the seven charges brought against the Jamaat Secretary General, the tribunal found the former Al Badr operative guilty of five.
Charges of genocide (charge 2) and abduction and torture in another instance (charge 4) were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Source: Bd news24
