ATM Azharul Islam is a Bangladeshi politician and criminal 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]
A. T. M. Azharul Islam | |||||||||||||
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| Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | |||||||||||||
| Constituency | Rangpur-2 | ||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||
| Born | 1952 (age 71–72) Lohanipara, Badarganj Upazila, Rangpur District, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan | ||||||||||||
| Nationality | Bangladeshi | ||||||||||||
| Political party | Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | ||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||
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Born in Lohanipara village in Badarganj Upazila, Rangpur District, Islam became the leader of 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]
Political life
editIslam contested elections from the Rangpur-2 constituency (Taraganj and Badarganj) in 1996, 2001, and 2008.[4][5]
Legal issue
editOn August 22, 2012, Islam was arrested in Moghbazar. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) filed five charges against him, including genocide, murder, and abduction.[6]
In December 2014, he was sentenced to death by the ICT for his involvement in war crimes during the 1971 war. His defense argued that the charges were politically motivated, but his appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in 2019.[7] Amnesty International and other human rights groups have raised concerns about the fairness of his trial, citing irregularities in the proceedings.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Bangladesh: Political leader at imminent risk of execution: ATM Azharul Islam". Amnesty International. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Crimes Against Humanity: SC upholds Azhar's death penalty". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Report, Star Online (2020-07-19). "War criminal ATM Azharul seeks review of death sentence". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "ICT fixes Azharul hearing". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Bangladesh upholds death sentence of Islamist chief Azharul Islam". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Crimes Against Humanity: SC upholds Azhar's death penalty". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Bangladesh: Political leader at imminent risk of execution: ATM Azharul Islam". Amnesty International. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 2024-10-03.