On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh maintained their stand in executing death sentence against Motiur Rahman Nizami. The head of the Bangladesh's largest Islamist party was charged for war crimes during the country's 1971 fight for independence from Pakistan.
72-year-old cleric, Motiur Rahman Nizami had appealed his conviction on rape, torture charges, and murder by a special tribunal. His prosecutors argue that the head of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party led an Islamist militia that collaborated with the Pakistani army. The Wall Street Journal reported that the ruling follows a series of attacks on Ahmed Rajib Haider, an atheist blogger from Bangladesh. The terrorist group has claimed responsibility for attacks on foreigners from other countries and Shia Muslims.
Motiur Rahman Nizami was convicted of 16 charges, which includes destruction of property, genocide, torture, rape, and murder. His plea was supposed to be his last chance of avoiding a death sentence. However, the special tribunal rejected his plea and, therefore, the government will now schedule his execution. According to Associate Press, the president could give him a presidential clemency, but it said to be almost impossible.
In 2010, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the one responsible for setting up the tribunal on war crimes. Motiur Rahman Nizami was part of the administration of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and was a cabinet minister. Agence France-Presse reported that the court upheld the death sentence in three out of four charges. Prosecutor Tureen Afroz was happy with the Supreme Court's decision. "Most importantly, the death penalty was upheld for the killings of the intellectuals," he added.
Other members of the opposition including three senior Jamaat-e-Islami, have already been hanged for their roles in killing people during the independence war in 1971. Bangladesh stated that soldiers from Pakistan killed 3 million people during the nine-month-long war. It has also been reported that 200,000 women were raped.
Bangladesh also claims that Nizami carried out systematic torture and execution of supporters of independence. He was also accused of acting the supreme commander of the Al-Badr militia. Khandker Mahbub, Nizami's lawyer said that they will decide the next course after consulting him.
Numbers of right groups condemned the punishment over war crimes by stating that it fell short of international standards and oversight. But, Bangladesh is adamant about executing death sentence and that it is needed to promote healing to the victims of war and the country itself.
