Mir Quasem gets death for war crimes:Daily Sun

Mir Quasem Ali International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced Jamaat financier Mir Quasem Ali to death for his alleged involvement in wartime crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. A three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 pronounced the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom on Sunday. Awarding the death sentence, the court observed that the magnitude of at
rocities committed by him secured him title Bengali Khan Saheb. He was head of infamous Al-Badr and president of Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS) of greater Chittagong. He was founding president of Islami Chhatra Shibir. Mir Quasem Ali was sentenced to death on two counts of charges for masterminding killing of freedom fighter Jasim, Ranjit Das Luthu and Tontu Sen Prakash Raju at Dalim Hotel torture cell in Chittagong. ICT-2 chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan started to read out summary of the 351 page verdict at 10:45 am and ended at 11: 45 am. Mir Quasem is the second assistant secretary general of Jamaat to have been sentenced to death. Another assistant secretary general of the party Muhammad kamaruzzaman was awarded capital punishment last year. He filed appeal against his conviction. Incidentally, verdict on his appeal is scheduled to be pronounced today. Court’s observation The court said around 20,000 members were recruited in Al-Badr and other auxiliary forces created by Jamaat to resist liberation war. Mir Quasem had control over Al-Badr of the whole country. He exclusively controlled the killing, persecution and confinement of unarmed civilians and freedom loving people in greater Chittagong. He set up torture cell in Dalim Hotel there. He was a potential commander of AL-Badr and ICS being their Chittagong unit head. He not only prevented them from committing war crimes but also helped them commit such crimes. He had superior responsibility. He was commander of Killing Squad of Al-Badr. By dint of gravity of atrocity showed by Mir Quasem, he was termed Bengali Khan Saheeb. He was principal perpetrator of the wartime crimes committed in Dalim Hotel. Being chief of AL-Badr and ICS in Chittagong, he committed killing and torture for notorious purpose and plan of Jamaat-e-Islami. Charges proved and unproved Out of totally 14 charges, charge nos 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 14 were proved and he was convicted. On the other hand, he was acquitted of charge nos 1, 5, 8 and 13 for those not being proved. Death sentence charges Mir Quasem was sentenced to death for charge nos 11 and 12 each. Capital punishment for charge no 11 was awarded by the three judges unanimously and that for charge no 12 on majority view. Charge no-11 On the day of Eid-ul Fitr in 1971, freedom fighter Jasim Uddin was abducted by Al Badr militia. He was persecuted at Dalim Hotel in Andorkilla of Chittagong. Members of Al-Badr killed him on the rooftop of the hotel on November 28. Five others were killed there. All the murders were committed as per directive of Mir Quasem. Later, bodies of Jasim Uddin and five others were thrown into the Karnaphuli river. Charge no-12 Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Ranjit Das Luthu and Tontu Sen Prakash Raju were abducted from Hazari Lane of Chittagong. After few days, Jahangir Alam was released from Dalim Hotel. But, Al-Badr militia killed Luthu and Raju and hid their bodies at the behest of Mir Quasem’s order. Members of Al-Badr, Al-Shams and Pakistan forces torched 200/250 houses and business establishments. They forced over 100 members of Hindu minority to leave the country. Other imprisonments Mir Quasem was sentenced to imprisonment for 20 years for charge no 2. He was sentenced to 7 years for charge nos 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10 each. However, he was awarded imprisonment for 10 years for charge no 14. That means he will have to serve 72 years in jail. If fractions are aggregated, total sentence will be 72 years. But the court said he will have to serve all the sentences concurrently that means- 20 years. Charge no-2 On November 19, 1971, Lutfar Rahman Faruk and Siraj were abducted at the behest of Mir Quasem. They were taken to Bakli police station controlled by Pakistan occupation force. They were persecuted in Dalim Hotel. Their homesteads were set on fire. After being tortured for 2/3 days, Faruk were sent to Chittagong Jail. He was released on December 16. Charge no-3 On November 22 or 23, 1971, a group of anti-liberation forces led by Mir Quasem picked up Jahangir Alam Chowdhury from his residence. He was taken to Double Mooring Thana. Later, he was tortured at Dalim Hotel by infamous Al Badr militia. The victim was released from the hotel after independence. Charge no-4 On November 24, 1971, Saifuddin Khan was abducted from Aziz Colony under Double Mooring Thana. A group of Al-Badr militia tortured him at Dalim Hotel at the behest of Mir Quasem. On December 2 or 3, he was sent to Chittagong Jail. His wife found him stained with blood at the jail. Charge no-6 On November 28, 1971, Harun-or-Rashid was abducted from a tea stall. He was tortured blindfolded at the Dalim Hotel. Later, he was shifted to Salma Manjil. He was confined there till December 16. Charge no-7 On November 27, seven or eight youth held M Sanaullah Chowdhury, Habibur Rahman and Elias of Double Mooring Thana. They were taken at the behest of Mir Quasem. They were tortured at the Dalim Hotel to estract information about freedom fighters. Later, they were released on December 6 and 9. They witnesses killing of many people at the hotel. Charge no-9 On November 29, 1971, Syed Osman, Syed Jamaluddin, Syed Kamaluddin, Syed Sarwar Uddin, Syed Golam Kibria and Syed Golam Rahman. They were persecuted at Dalim Hotel till December 15. Charge no-10 On November 29, 1971, Md Zakaria Salauddin, Chuttu Mia, Iskandar Alam Chowdhury and Nazimuddin were abducted. After being taken to Dalim Hotel, they were tortured. Charge no-14 Nasir Uddin was abducted from Kotwali Thana area. He was taken to Dalim Hotel. Cadres of Al-Badr tortured him at Dalim Hotel. On December 16, around 100/150 people including Nasir Uddin were released from Dalim Hotel. M Quasem in the dock Unlike other accused persons, Mir Quasem was looking at the judges and following every word of the judgment. He sat on the chair keeping one leg upon another in a causal style. After judgment was completed, M Quasem stood up and rejected the verdict. “Fake case, false evidence...truth will be revealed..soon soon,” he shouted. Jamaat financier Mir Quasem is allegedly financier of Jamaat and was third man in command of Al-Badr, the armed militia of Jamaat during the liberation war. On Sept 5, 2013, Quasem was indicted on 14 counts of charges including murder, abduction and torture. He is an important figure of Jamaat being one of the top financiers, a director of Islami Bank and chairman of the Diganta Media Corporation and founder of Ibn Sina Trust and director of the non-government organisation - Rabita al-Alam al-Islami. He is also a member of executive council of Jamaat. Arrested on June 17, 2012, he has been facing war crimes charges committed by him mostly in Chittagong area. According to prosecution, Pakistan’s Ayub Khan, Yahiya Khan, Tikka Khan had broken this country to pieces, that’s when another ‘Bengali Khan’ was born. Birth and political background Quasem was born at Harirampur in Manikganj. He was introduced as Mintu to the people of Chittagong in 1971. He was a first-year student of Physics at Chittagong College in 1971. He was elected president of Jamaat’s the then student wing Islamic Chhatra Sangha unit of that college. Later, he became a member of the Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha’s provincial working council on Nov 6. Later, he was elected general secretary of its Chittagong wing during the Liberation War. He committed torture and killing of eight people and concealment of their bodies. He was involved in persecution of 34 people in confinement. He became commander of killing squad Al Badr comprising the members of a Peace Committee and Islami Chhatra Sangha to abet Pakistani occupation forces in committing mass killing, rape and arson in Chittagong area. Prosecution story says Al Badr at the behest of his suggestion and supervision set up camps for torture and killings at Dalim Hotel in Andarkilla, a leather depot at Asadganj and Salma Manjil at Panchlaish. Not only the above offence but also list of the intellectuals was made by him before they were killed at the fag end of the Liberation War. He fled to Saudi Arabia after independence and came back home after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed on August 15, 1975. Later, on Feb 6, 1977, he turned into founding president of the Islami Chhatra Shibir. A number of 24 prosecution witnesses (PW) and three defence witnesses (DW) testified in the case. The tribunal closed the curtain of the trial on May 4. The same day, the matter was kept as Case Awaiting Verdict (CAV).