'I am free': Jamaat leader Azharul thanks 'July revolutionaries' after war crimes acquittal

Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, who had been on death row since 2014, has expressed gratitude to the "revolutionary heroes" of the July Uprising at an event organised by the party to mark his acquittal in a war crimes case.

Standing on a stage set up near the Shahbagh intersection, Azharul waved to party members and said: “I am now free. I am independent.”

The 73-year-old had been held in the cardiac unit of Bangladesh Medical University Hospital under prison custody. He was released at 9:05am on Wednesday.

From early morning, Jamaat leaders and activists had gathered at the hospital to welcome him. He was then taken to the reception in Shahbagh in a black SUV.

Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman, deputy chief Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, and other senior party figures greeted the former assistant secretary general with flowers.

Taking the stage to speak, Azharul said: “After nearly 14 years in prison, I was released this morning. I am now free. I am now independent. In a free country, I am now a free citizen.”

Azharul was arrested at his Moghbazar home on Aug 22, 2012, while serving as Jamaat’s assistant secretary general. He had been in jail ever since.

In his address, Azharul said: “First and foremost, I want to thank our honourable judiciary for playing a leading role in establishing justice. For a long time, justice had been denied. The courts were being used as tools.”

“That’s why I hope that from now on, the judiciary will continue to reflect the will of the people, ensuring that the people receive the justice they deserve.”

Azharul also thanked his legal team. But he gave the most credit to the student leaders of last year’s July Uprising, who he believes changed the country's political landscape and paved the way for his release.

“I want to thank the revolutionary heroes of July 36 [Aug 5, 2024], who made my release possible. Their relentless effort, protests, and movement forced the fall of the tyrannical fascist regime.”

“Above all, I thank the student community. They revived the pride and legacy of our past. It was the students who took to the streets, spilled their blood, and led a movement alongside the people against 14 to 15 years of fascist oppression. That movement shattered the arrogance of the regime and brought about a new wave of freedom in Bangladesh.”

He also expressed gratitude to the "patriotic Army" for "siding with the people", saying that their support was key to the country reaching its current state.

Azharul then paid tribute to the Jamaat leaders who were executed or died in custody during their war crimes trials.

“I remember with deep sorrow those who were my leaders. They were unjustly killed. It was a judicial killing.”

Calling for justice, he added: “Everyone involved in those killings must be brought under the law and held accountable. Otherwise, this dangerous precedent will continue. We must break away from this.”

Addressing party activists and supporters, the senior Jamaat leader said: “There is only one path to paradise, and that is martyrdom. Only martyrdom can grant us paradise. No force can stop a group, a nation, or an individual who moves forward in pursuit of martyrdom.”

In 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Azharul to death after finding him guilty on six charges of genocide, murder, abduction, and torture during the 1971 Liberation War.

In 2019, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the verdict.

However, after the July Uprising and subsequent change in government, the Appellate Division agreed to hear a review petition filed by Azharul. On Tuesday, the court acquitted him of all charges.

This marked the first time that a person convicted of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War had been acquitted after a review plea.