The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Tuesday awarded death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general ATM Azharul Islam for his crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

Three-member tribunal, headed by ICT-1 Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim, pronounced the verdict.

Azhar was found guilty on five charges out of six. Among five, he awarded death penalty on three charges of genocide, mass killing and crimes against humanity and 25 years imprisonment for raping and another 5 years imprisonment for torturing.

Earlier in the morning, he was brought to the tribunal with tight security by a prison van.

On August 22, 2012, he was arrested from his Moghbazar residence in the capital.

The tribunal indicted him on November 12 last year on six charges.

Charges  

1. Abduction, confinement, torture and murder of Durgadas Adhikari and seven other civilians between March 24 and April 3, 1971.

2. Massacre in Mokshedpur Dhap Para and adjacent areas on April 16.

3. Massacre at Jharuarbeel and killing of around 1,400 unarmed civilians on April 17.

4. Abduction and murder of four Hindu teachers of Carmichael College and others on April 30.

5. Rape at Rangpur Town Hall between March 25 and December 16, and

6. Torture of Shawkat Hossain and Rafiqul Hasan between November and December 1.

Son of late Nazir Hossain and Ramicha Khatun of Batasan Lohanipara in Badarganj upazila, Azharul was a student of Rangpur Carmichael College during the 1971 Liberation War. Following the formation of Al-Badr, a heinous auxiliary force to the Pakistan army, he allegedly became the commander of its Rangpur unit.

In connection with his alleged wartime offences Azharul arrested from his Moghbazar house in the capital on August 22, 2012

The tribunal indicted Azharul on November 12 last year and the prosecution produced its first witness on December 26 the same year. As many as 19 prosecution witnesses gave their testimonies until July 6 this year, while the defence brought in just one witness. Both the prosecution and the defence placed their arguments between August 18 and September 18 before the tribunal kept the case waiting for verdict.

TF/QH