Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed | |
---|---|
আলী আহসান মুহাম্মদ মুজাহিদ | |
Executed | |
Conviction(s) | Crimes against humanity |
Criminal penalty | Death |
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed (
He was second in command of the infamous paramilitary force Al-Badr in 1971, which committed war crimes at that time.[2][3] On 17 July 2013, he was found guilty of war crimes such as genocide, conspiracy in helping to kill intellectuals and abduction during the 1971 Liberation war of Bangladesh by the International Crimes Tribunal-2 and sentenced to death for 2 of the 7 charges brought against him.[4][5][6] The High Court rejected his review petition on 18 November 2015. He was executed on 22 November 2015, becoming one of the world's first Ministers to be hanged.[7] Until his death, he was the Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[8][9][2][10]
Early life
Mojaheed was born in 1948, in
Political career
During the Liberation war
In 1968, Mojaheed became the Faridpur district president of Islami Chhatra Sangha (Urdu:
The prosecutors at the International Crimes Tribunal in their formal charge stated that Mojaheed took over as the supreme commander of the
Post war
Mojaheed contested the parliamentary elections in 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2008. Except for 2001, he lost in all the elections.[12] Between 2001 and 2006, he was the Minister of Social Welfare.
War crimes trial
Prosecution
The trial of Mojaheed at the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh began on 19 July 2012. On 11 December 2011, the prosecution submitted before the tribunal, pressing 34 counts of charges against Mojaheed. The tribunal indicted Mojaheed on two counts of genocide against the Bengali Hindus and five counts of crimes against humanity for killing, forced deportation, abduction, torture and arson.[12] Among the victims listed in the charges was Serajuddin Hossain, who was the executive editor of The Daily Ittefaq in 1971.[12]
Opposition parties and human rights groups alleged political interference in the trial, given that all the accused were leading opposition politicians.[16] ICT have delivered its verdict on war crimes charges of Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed on 17 July 2013, two days after ICT-1 sentenced war criminal Ghulam Azam to 90 years in prison.[17]
Skype controversy
In late 2012, the ICT was the centre of
Conviction
On 17 July 2013, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed was found guilty of
On 14 October 2015, Ahsan filed a review petition with the Supreme Court of Bangladesh against the sentence. On 18 November 2015, the High Court of Bangladesh upheld the death sentence of Ali Ahsan, rejecting his pleas for reviewing death penalties.[23] According to jail officials and the Minister for Justice, Mojaheed asked for mercy in a petition to the President of Bangladesh, but his appeal was rejected.[24][25] Although, his family claimed that he didn't ask for mercy to the president and it was a lie from the government.[26][27]
Death
On 22 November 2015, 12:45 AM, GMT+6, Mojaheed was hanged at
Reactions
Domestic reactions
Ahsan's party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami offered funeral prayers in absentia on 22 November morning, and called for a strike across the country on 23 November 2015.[33]
Thirteen treasury bench of the
International reactions
Pakistan - In a statement from Pakistan Foreign Ministry said after the execution, "We have noted with deep concern and anguish the unfortunate executions of the Bangladesh National Party Leader, Mr Salauddin Quadir Chowdhury, and Mr Ali Ahsan Mojaheed. Pakistan is deeply disturbed at this development."[35]
See also
References
- ^ "Bangladesh upholds death sentence for war collaborator". India Today. 16 June 2015.
- ^ a b "Jamaat Secretary General gets death for war crimes in Bangladesh". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 22 April 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ "Mojaheed to hang". The Daily Star. 17 July 2013. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ a b Paul, Ruma (17 July 2013). "Bangladesh Islamist leader sentenced to death for 1971 war crimes". Reuters.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh Islamist party leader sentenced to death for war crimes". Deutsche Welle.
- ^ a b Habib, Haroon (18 July 2013). "Jamaat secretary-general gets death penalty for war crimes". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
- ^ Adhikary, Tuhin Shubhra; Habib, Wasim Bin (22 November 2015). "Hanged, Together". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ^ "Bangladesh Islamist leader sentenced to death for war crimes". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- ^ "Death penalty for leading Bangladesh Islamist". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- ^ মুজাহিদকে ফাঁসির আদেশ [Mojaheed sentenced to death]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- ^ Ahmed, Jakia (2 April 2012). "'Mojaheed not own his father's crimes'". BanglaNews24.com. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Mojaheed indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity". New Age. Dhaka. 22 June 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Discharge plea for Mojaheed". The Daily Star. Dhaka. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Newspaper archives testify to 1971 role of Mojaheed, other war crimes suspects". The Daily Star. Dhaka. BSS. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ Sarkar, Ashutosh (17 January 2012). "Mojaheed pressed Pak army for hasty killings". The Daily Star. Dhaka. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ "Bangladesh War-Crime Tribunal Bogs Down". The Wall Street Journal. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ "Verdict on Mujaheed Wednesday". bdnews24.com. 16 July 2013.
- ^ "The trial of the birth of a nation". The Economist. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
- ^ "Tribunal chief quits over Skype scandal". The Daily Star. 12 December 2012.
- ^ "Mujaheed guilty of war crimes". bdnews24.com. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- ^ Khan, Tamanna (18 July 2013). "They now can rest in peace". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ এটা ভুল রায়: রাজ্জাক. bdnews24.com (in Bengali).
- ^ "Verdicts read out to Salauddin, Mojaheed". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Bangladesh president rejects mercy plea of 2 war criminals". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Bangladesh president rejects death-row mercy petitions". The Economic Times. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Govt, family versions contradict". The Daily Star. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Effort to create confusion over mercy petitions on". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ সাকা-মুজাহিদের ফাঁসি কার্যকর [Mojaheed execution]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Mixed reaction in Faridpur". The Daily Star. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Bangladesh executes 2 opposition leaders for war crimes". Hindustan Times. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Mojaheed buried in Faridpur town". Prothom Alo. 22 November 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Mojaheed buried in his hometown Faridpur". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Jamaat launches two-day protest including Monday strike". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "MPs praise govt, PM at JS". The Daily Star. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Pakistan 'deeply' perturbed over executions in Bangladesh". The Daily Star. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.