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ATM Azharul Islam

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A T M Azharul Islam
Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
Personal details
Born1952 (age 72–73)
Lohanipara, Badarganj Upazila, Rangpur District, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
OccupationPolitician
ATM Azharul Islam
StatusAwaiting execution
Conviction(s)Genocide, murder, abduction
Criminal chargeGenocide, murder, abduction
PenaltyDeath sentence

ATM Azharul Islam is a Bangladeshi politician and who served as the acting Secretary General of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He is held with charges of involvement in crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.[1]

Born in Lohanipara village in Badarganj Upazila, Rangpur District, He is accused of leading the Al-Badr militia, which collaborated with the Pakistani military during the war. He is alleged to have orchestrated the Jharuarbeel massacre in April 1971, where 1,200 civilians were killed.[2][3]

Career

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Islam served as the Rangpur commander of the Al-Badr during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[4] The Al-Badr was a paramilitary unit that worked under the Pakistan Army during the war.[5]

Islam contested the General Election June 1996 as a candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami from Rangpur-2.[6] He received 8,273, third highest share, while the winning candidate Hussain Muhammad Ershad of the Jatiya Party received 66,929 votes.[6]

Islam was the candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami for Rangpur-2 in the General Election 2001.[6] He came third with 17,788 votes while the winning candidate, Mohammad Ali Sarkar of the Islami Jatiya Oikya Front, 91,921 votes.[6]

Islam contested elections from the Rangpur-2 constituency (Taraganj and Badarganj) in General Election 2008.[7][8] He came second with 36,586 votes while the winning candidate, Anisul Islam Mondal of the Jatiya Party received 166,271 votes.[9]

In 2010, following the arrest of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders on war crimes charges, Islam stated "We are observing the situation. The legal battle to free our leaders will continue along with a peaceful movement".[10] Some leaders described the arrests as a moment of crisis for the party.[10]

In January 2011, Islam announced Jamaat-e-Islami was fielding 39 mayoral candidates who will contest elections against their alley the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[11] In February, as Acting Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islam announced a series of strikes protesting government policies.[12] In June 2011, Islam called a joint 3 hour strike with Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir protesting a recommendation by the parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment to remove the neutral caretaker government system.[13] He was one of the accused in a sedition case filed over comments on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Home Minister by Rezaul Karim, former president of Islami Chhatra Shibir.[14] He protested comments by Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh who called Jamaat-e-Islami anti-Indian and partner of Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's intelligence agency.[15] He was detained on 20 September 2011 after violent protests by Jamaat-e-Islami activists over not being allowed to hold a rally demanding the release of its leaders.[16] The protests left 200 people injured, 28 cars burned down, 200 cars were vandalized along with roadside shops, and disrupted traffic throughout Dhaka.[16] The police filed a case against the party activists, including Ameer Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, for assaulting police officers during the protest.[17]

War crimes trial

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On August 22, 2012, Islam was arrested in Moghbazar.[18] The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) filed five charges against him, including genocide, murder, and abduction.[19] He was serving as the assistant general secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami.[20] His prosecutor at the trial was Nurjahan Begum Mukta.[21] His defence team was composed of senior counsel Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Shishir Manir, and Imran Siddique. A women testified that he was involved in the rape of a pregnant woman for 19 days at the Rangpur Town Hall during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[4][22][23]

In December 2014, he was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for his involvement in war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.[24][25] He was found involved in the Jharuarbeel massacre in which more than 1200 civilians Hindus,[26] were murdered, rape of a pregnant woman at Rangpur Town Hall, the torture of a Mukti Bahini member and his brother at an Al-Badr camp.[24][27] He was found innocent in the charge of killing 10 people at Rangpur as the prosecution failed to prove the charge.[24] The three member tribunal was led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim and included Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque.[24] His reaction after the verdict was, "... Allah will try you, Insha'Allah".[24] Jamaat-e-Islami called for a two day strike(hartal) following the verdict.[24][28]

Islam's defense argued that the charges were politically motivated, but his appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in 2019.[29] The Appellate Division bench was led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain.[30] Islam's principal lawyer at the appeal was Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician.[30] Amnesty International and other human rights groups have raised concerns about the fairness of his trial, citing irregularities in the proceedings.[31]

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman demanded Islam be released the party registration with the Election Commission be restored.[32][33] The Party staged protests in Gazipur District demanding his release.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "Bangladesh: Political leader at imminent risk of execution: ATM Azharul Islam". Amnesty International. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  2. ^ "Crimes Against Humanity: SC upholds Azhar's death penalty". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  3. ^ "Bangladesh SC upholds death sentence for top Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam for war crimes during 1971 war". Firstpost. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  4. ^ a b Bemporad, Elissa; Warren, Joyce W. (2018-04-10). Women and Genocide: Survivors, Victims, Perpetrators. Indiana University Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-253-03383-3.
  5. ^ "Al-Badr - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  6. ^ a b c d "Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics". web.archive.org. 2008-12-24. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  7. ^ Report, Star Online (2020-07-19). "War criminal ATM Azharul seeks review of death sentence". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  8. ^ "ICT fixes Azharul hearing". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  9. ^ "Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results - Amar Desh Online". amardesh.com. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  10. ^ a b "Arrests put Jamaat in deep trouble". The Daily Star. 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  11. ^ "BNP to face Jamaat in 39 municipalities". The Daily Star. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  12. ^ "Jamaat programmes to free leaders from Feb 5". The Daily Star. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  13. ^ "BNP, Jamaat call 36-hour hartal". The Daily Star. 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  14. ^ "Ex-Shibir president sent to jail". The Daily Star. 2011-06-21. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  15. ^ "Jamaat slates Manmohan's remarks". The Daily Star. 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  16. ^ a b "Jamaat men run riot". archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  17. ^ "Assaulting policemen in 2011: Charges framed against 149 Jamaat-Shibir leaders, activists". The Daily Star. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  18. ^ "Jamaat leader Azharul held". The Daily Star. 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  19. ^ "Bangladesh upholds death sentence of Islamist chief Azharul Islam". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  20. ^ Dandekar, Deepra. Boundaries and Motherhood: Ritual and Reproduction in Rural Maharashtra. Zubaan. ISBN 978-93-85932-10-6.
  21. ^ "Jamaat leader Azharul held". The Daily Star. 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  22. ^ "Pregnant woman got no mercy". The Daily Star. 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  23. ^ "He got pregnant woman raped". The Daily Star. 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "Punished to the Maximum". The Daily Star. 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  25. ^ "Killing Teachers". The Daily Star. 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  26. ^ Grant, Peter (2015-07-02). State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2015: Focus on cities. Minority Rights Group. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-907919-63-3.
  27. ^ "Jharuarbeel-Padmapukur genocide testifies crimes against humanity -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  28. ^ "Jamaat calls hartal for Wednesday, Thursday". The Daily Star. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  29. ^ "Crimes Against Humanity: SC upholds Azhar's death penalty". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  30. ^ a b "Crimes Against Humanity: SC upholds Azhar's death penalty". The Daily Star. 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  31. ^ "Bangladesh: Political leader at imminent risk of execution: ATM Azharul Islam". Amnesty International. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  32. ^ "'Release Azharul, restore party registration'". The Daily Star. 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  33. ^ "Release Azharul Islam or prepare to imprison 3 crore people: Jamaat chief to govt". The Business Standard. 2025-02-22. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  34. ^ "Jamaat stages protest in Gazipur, demands Azharul's release". The Daily Star. 2025-02-18. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
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