Bangladesh executes two opposition leaders for 1971 war crimes

Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and Qadeer Chaudhary were accused of supporting Pakistani forces in the 1971 war, when as a result Bangladesh gained emerged on the global map.

The BNP also accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of presiding over a politically-motivated killing which was carried only hours after its leader Khaleda Zia returned from a lengthy stay in London.

The Supreme Court had beforehand rejected their appeals towards a demise sentence imposed by a particular tribunal for genocide and torture of civilians through the battle.

Kamal, the home minister, said Mujahid and Chowdhury had filed the petitions to the president through a magistrate Saturday and that they were rejected Sunday. The State Department was less pointed, saying Friday that executions should not take place until it’s clear the trial process meets worldwide standards.

Rajib Sen, a reporter for the Mohona TV station, was on his way back from Chowdhury’s funeral in Chittagong district when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets, his employer said.

They were awarded the death sentence along many other leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh by a controversial War Tribunal in 2013.

Two years ago, a special war crimes tribunal found him guilty of nine out of 23 charges including genocide, arson and persecuting people on religious and political grounds. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Awami League party, has denied the allegations.

“I’ve waited for this day for a long 44 years”, said Shawan Mahmud, daughter of top musician Altaf Mahmud, who was killed by the notorious Al Badr militia that Mujahid was convicted of leading. She has acknowledged that she faced global pressure for trying opposition figures for war crimes, but vowed to continue the trials “to ensure justice for the families of the slain people” from the 1971 war. Chowdhury and Mujahid were executed after their petitions for presidential clemency was turned down earlier.

“My father said he did not seek any mercy”.

Bangladesh has also seen a recent series of targetted killings, with Islamists murdering secular writers and intellectuals.

One of those groups, the worldwide Commission of Jurists, “expresses its solidarity with the victims and survivors of the human rights violations committed during the 1971 war, and believes the perpetrators of these atrocities must be brought to justice”, said Sam Zarifi, the commission’s Asia-Pacific regional director.

Independent researchers however say the overall death toll was much lower.