Jamaat to stage mass sit-in demanding release of ATM Azharul

Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a “mass” sit-in demanding the release of ATM Azharul Islam, who has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

The programme is set to take place on Feb 25 from 2pm to 4pm outside the Chief Advisor’s Office in Dhaka.

In a statement, the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said: “Our party chief Shafiqur Rahman will be the chief guest at the programme.

“We call upon the people of Bangladesh to participate spontaneously in this programme to ensure the release of ATM Azharul Islam.”

He continued, “Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Azharul has been in prison for over 13 years due to false and fabricated cases by the then fascist government.

“Following the fall of the fascist regime, many leaders and activists of anti-fascist political parties have been released.

“The people of the country had hoped that ATM Azharul, who has suffered extreme oppression and persecution, would also be freed in a Bangladesh free from autocracy.

“However, even after nearly six and a half months of the interim government assuming power, he has not been released. This has left the nation shocked.”

The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Azharul to death on Dec 30, 2014, in a case of crimes against humanity in 1971.

Then, the Appellate Division upheld the death sentence in its verdict on Oct 31, 2019.

According to the tribunal’s verdict, Azharul was the district president of Islami Chhatra Sangha in 1971. Under his leadership, more than 1,400 people were killed in mass killings in Greater Rangpur, and numerous women were raped, abducted, and subjected to torture.

Azharul filed a plea with the Appellate Division on Jul 19, 2020, seeking a review of the verdict, which had been pending for a long time.

After the political change, senior lawyer Abdur Razzaq presented the review petition to the court on Jan 9, assisted by lawyers Mohammad Shishir Manir, Ehsan Abdullah Siddiq, and Najib Momen.

The Appellate Division initially scheduled the hearing for Jan 23.

Later, on that date, the four-judge bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed rescheduled it for Feb 20.

However, the hearing did not take place and a new date has now been set for Feb 27.