The Supreme Court’s judgment was ‘wrong’, Abdul Quader Molla’s wife in a statement said on Tuesday night, hours after the apex court pronounced his death penalty overturning the life sentence.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General was found guilty in the crimes against humanity including rape, murder and torture in the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan.
Sanwara Jahan in the statement on Jamaat-e-Islami letterhead said the judgment ‘frustrated’ them, though they had ‘full respect’ for the court.
She said the government had charged him with ‘false’ accusations in a conspiracy to wreak ‘political vengeance’ and ‘hurriedly’ handed down death penalty.
As the current government started the much-awaited war crimes trial, Molla was shown arrested on Jul 13, 2010 in a murder case that took place during the 1971 war. Later, he was charged with war crimes.
On May 28, the second war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh started trying him and sentenced him to life in prison on Feb 5 this year.
But the judgment triggered uproar particularly among the youths as they felt it was ‘too lenient’ for the crimes Molla who was known as ‘Butcher of Mirpur’ had done in 1971.
The non-violent protest gave birth to a movement at Dhaka’s Shahbagh in the shape of Ganajagaran Mancha.
Tuesday’s judgment came after the protests forced the government to amend the appeals right for the prosecution. Previously, the prosecution could appeal only in case of an acquittal.
The defence had sought his acquittal while the prosecution pleaded for maximum penalty. The top appeals court gave him maximum penalty with a 4-1 majority reviewing two appeals.
Molla’s wife Jahan said they were ‘deprived of justice’ and criticised reactions of the Law Minister, Attorney General and Awami League leaders after the verdict.
She alleged that her husband was deprived of constitutional rights as she said his case had been reviewed ‘hurriedly’.
Jahan said they did not know of any precedence that apex court increased a lower court sentence.
Source: Bd news24
