WAR CRIMES : SC upholds Nizami’s death sentence [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

WAR CRIMES : SC upholds Nizami’s death sentence

Local January 07, 2016

The Appellate Division on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for planning the killings of intellectuals in Dhaka and mass killings at two places in Pabna during the War of Independence.
A four-judge bench chaired by Chief Justice SK Sinha, delivered the unanimous verdict at about 9.10AM amid pin drop silence the courtroom.
The bench included, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.
Later, Nizami’s counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain told reporters that no decision was taken as yet whether a petition would be filed seeking review of the verdict.
It depends on the client, he said, adding, if Nizami asks a review petition would be filed.
But Nizami might as well not seek a review of the apex court verdict as no previous petitioner got any benefit from their review petitions.
Khandker Mahbub also said his client did not deserve death sentence as an abettor as none of the principal accused in Pakistan army were tried.
Nizami would get the opportunity to seek a review of the verdict, attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters.
On October 29, 2014, the International Crime Tribunal-1 sentenced Nizami to death on four counts of war crimes.
The apex court upheld Nizami’s death sentences on three charges which include planning intellectuals’ killings and two charges of mass killings at two places in Pabna, his home district.
The apex court upheld Nizami’s death sentence handed by the trial court for ordering the abductions and killings of three physicians, Abdul Alim Chowhury, Azharul Haque and Humayun Kabir.
The apex court upheld Nizami’s death sentence for ordering the killings of 450 inhabitants of Baousgari, Ruposhi and Demra, three villages in the then Sathia thana and for ordering the raping of about 30 or 40 women of the village Purbo Karamja of the same thana in Pabna district.
It also upheld his death sentence for ordering the killings of 22 un-armed inhabitants of the village Dhulaura.
The apex court acquitted Nizami from the charge of ordering the killing of Habibur Rahman of Purbo Karamja.
The apex court upheld Nizami’s life term for ordering abduction, confinement and killings of freedom fighters Badi, Rumi, Azad,Jewel and composer Altaf Mahmud in Dhaka and for ordering torture and murder of Liberation War supporter Sohrab Ali of the village Brishalikha, Pabna.
The apex court acquitted Nizami of two other charges for which the trial court as sentenced him to life-terms.
The last two charges one for ordering abductions and mass killings by Al-Badr, Rajakar and Pakistani forces at the Al-Badr headquarters at Physical Training College at Mohammadpur towards the fag end of the War of Independence.
He was also acquitted from the charge of ordering the arrest, detention, torture and killing of Pabna Zilla School’s head Moulana and social worker Kasim Uddin.
On September 17, 1971, Ghulam Azam, Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed were seen at the Physical Education college, noted the trial court verdict .
In November, Mojaheed, who succeeded Nizami as the Al-Badr force chief, was hanged for ordering mass killings in Faridpur and ordering killing of intellectuals at the Physical Education College.
Ghulam Azam died in jail while serving life terms for superior responsibility in 1971 war crimes and other war offences.
Earlier, the death sentences of Abdul Quader Molla, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury were executed.
The apex court reduced the death sentence of only Delwar Hossain Sayedee.