Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 has handed down death penalty to the secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.
The tribunal-2 pronounced the verdict as 5 of 7 charges have been proved beyond any reasonable doubt.
"The accused Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed be convicted and condemned to a 'single sentence of death' for the crimes as listed in charge nos. 6 and 7 and he be hanged by the neck till he is dead under section 20(2) of the International Crimes Tribunals Act, 1973," Chairman of the tribunal Justice Obaidul Hassan said while pronouncing the judgment in the crowded courtroom on Wednesday.
Of the seven charges, he was handed down the death penalty for the charge nos. 6 and 7, which are planning and conspiracy for the killing of intellectuals and killings at village Bakchar under Faridpur district.
Mojaheed got life imprisonment for his involvement in the killing of noted journalist Sirajuddin Hossain and killings of Bodi, Rumi, Jewel, Azad and renowned music composer Altaf Mahmud.
The Jamaat leader was sentenced to five-year imprisonment for his
involvement in the confinement of Ranjit Nath.
"However, as the convict Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed is 'sentenced to death', the sentence of 'imprisonment for life' and the sentence of 'imprisonment for 05 years' will naturally get merged into the 'sentence of death '," the tribunal said in its order.
Judge Md Shahinur Islam, member of the three- member panel of ICT-2, started reading out the 37-page summing up of the 209-page judgment around 11.05am followed by Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah. Chairman Justice Hassan started pronouncing the operative part of the judgment at about 12.25 noon and finished at 12.48 noon.
Mojaheed was quietly sitting in the dock and listening the verdict attentively. His 3 sons were present in the courtroom and sat in the last bench near the dock, where their father was.
On Tuesday, the tribunal set July 17 for pronouncement of the verdict, as the tribunal on June 5 kept the date on pending after the prosecution and defence counsels concluded their arguments on that day.
The tribunal on June 21, 2012, framed seven specific charges of crimes against humanity against Mojaheed including murder, torture, and imprisonment of people, genocide, and hatching a conspiracy to kill intellectuals during the Liberation War. His formal trial began on July 19, 2012.
A total of seventeen prosecution witnesses, including the investigation officer of this case, testified against Mojaheed, whereas his younger son Ali Ahmed Mabrur is the sole witness to vouch for him before the tribunal.
Mojaheed was arrested in another case on June 29, 2010, and was shown arrested in a case filed in connection with crimes against humanity on August 2 of the same year.
BBN/SSR/AD-17July13-11:26 pm (BST)
