Jaamat leader sentenced to death in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Dec 30: Bangladesh's war crimes court on Tuesday sentenced a Jamaat leader to death for crimes committed during the 1971 conflict that led to the creation of the country.

Al-Badr commander A.T.M. Azharul Islam has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of genocide during Bangladesh's Liberation War, bdnews24.com reported.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Enayetur Rahim, found him guilty of five out of six charges Tuesday.

Azhar has been ordered to be "hanged by the neck" for the genocide in the northern district of Rangpur. "No doubt, it was mass murder," presiding judge Enayetur Rahim said.

The Jamaat assistant secretary general, was indicted Nov 12 last year and was charged with genocide, murder, abduction, torture, rape and arson.

Hearing in his case was wrapped up Sept 18.

Azhar, a higher secondary student at Rangpur's Carmichael College in 1971, was the chief of the Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student front of Jamaat.

He led the Al-Badr vigilante militia to assist the Pakistan Army in an attempt to thwart the freedom struggle.

Azhar was arrested from his Moghbazar residence Aug 22, 2012 and has been in jail since then.

Justice Rahim in his initial remark urged everyone to eschew violence irrespective of the verdict.

IANS