Activities of al-Badr, the infamous killing squad of Jamaat-e-Islami that took the lives of many unarmed Bangalee civilians during the Liberation War in 1971, was against the spirit of Islam although they had committed atrocities in the name of the religion.
While delivering verdict against Mir Quasem ali yesterday, the second International Crimes Tribunal said Jamaat had claimed that the stance of the party and its the then student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha – now known as Shibir – was in solidarity with Pakistan and for preserving Islam.
“But holy religion Islam does not allow such atrocious acts against humanity,” the verdict said, adding: “Rather, Islam teaches protecting humanity and human rights and dignity.”
Tribunal Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan and members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam yesterday delivered the 351-page judgment over the charges against Quasem. They sentenced Quasem to death for the crimes that had committed against humanity in 1971.
In the concluding part of the judgment, they said: “The grave misdeeds committed by the al-Badr force, the ‘action section’ of Jamaat, are in no consideration approved by Islam.”
Jamaat have been doing politics in the country with an aim of establishing its own version of Islamic rule.
The party and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir have earned a reputation generally associated with terrorist organisations, by carrying out attacks on police and people over the last few years to foil the war crimes trial.
Yesterday’s verdict said the Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), by providing active assistance, inducement and endorsement to the al-Badr’s criminal activities, instead took a stance against the spirit of Islam.
The judges said: “Quasem being a potential leader of ICS, the student wing of Jamaat, had acted as its trusty henchman in furtherance of common policy and design of annihilating the ‘miscreants’ [freedom fighters].”
Quasem has been convicted for committing crimes against humanity in 1971 in an al-Badr camp, set up in Chittagong’s Dalim Hotel, in seclusion.
The Judges said it was the principal execution site of all the offences of confinement, torture and murder.
According to the judgment, by keeping civilians in prolonged captivity, the al-Badr men inflicted ruthless torture on them that resulted in death of several detainees including Jasim, a young freedom fighter, and Tuntu Sen and Ranjit Das.
The purpose of carrying out such system cruelties was to obtaining information about freedom fighters secretly headquartered in and around Chittagong town. Finally, on 16 December 16, 1971, hundreds of detainees got released there from with the help of freedom fighters.
Quasem was the boss of the al-Badr camp. The al-Badr acted a “death squad” for the Pakistan army and exterminated leading Bangalee professors, journalists, litterateurs, doctors and other professionals and intellectuals.
About the objective of creating the al-Badr force, the verdict said the infamous force’s objective was not to guard lives and properties of civilians.
“Rather, it [al-Badr] had acted in furtherance of policy and plan of Pakistani occupation army and in doing so, it had committed indiscriminate atrocities in a systematic manner against the unarmed Bangalee civilians throughout the territory of Bangladesh in 1971,” said the verdict.
