Rahman Nizami, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader has been hanged in Bangladesh for crimes during the war of independence in Bangladesh in 1971.

According to the local sources of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, Nizami was taken to the Central Prison in Dhaka for his execution after seeing his family members for the last time. 

The Bangladesh Supreme Court approved Nizami’s execution last week Thursday and held him guilty for numerous incidents committed during the independence war in 1971. The Supreme Court, made up of four judges with the leadership of Surendra Kumar Sinha, rejected Nizami’s final plea against a death sentence imposed by the International War Crimes Tribunal set by the current government.

Previously the International War Crimes Tribunal passed a death sentence to other Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Abdulkadir Molla, Muhammed Kamaruzzaman and Ali Ihsan Mucahid, these did not ask for forgiveness and were therefore hanged.  

The final decision has worn out the legal remedies for Nizami advised by the Interior Ministry. Nizami was advised that he can rely on the defence of forgiveness but like the other leaders he preferred to be executed.   

Nizami was put on trial by the decision of the International War Crimes Tribunal for committing offences against civilians and collaborating with the Pakistan Army as well as 16 other offences during the independence war. Nizami was sentenced to death by the court in 2014. He appealed to this decision but the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and approved the death penalty on 6 January. 

Vekili Makbul, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami and the General Secretary Vekili Safkur Rahman invited the public for a peaceful demonstration on Saturday after the Supreme Courts decision and for a 24-hour general strike on Sunday.

The International War Crime Tribunal was set by the Sheikh Hasina government in 2009 to investigate and prosecute offences committed during the independence war. Since its establishment 19 people have been sentenced to death penalty. Majority of these defendants are the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who have protected the country’s Islamic values. (ILKHA)