Jamaat calls hartal for tomorrow

Protesting the execution of its ameer and war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami, Jamaat-e-Islami has called a 24-hour countrywide hartal for Thursday to protest what it called ‘planned killing’ of Nizami by the government, reports the UNB.

 

In a statement which was published in Jamaat’s website within one hour after the hanging of 73-year-old Jamaat leader in Dhaka Central Jail at 12:10 am.

 

The statement said acting ameer of Jamaat Mokbul Ahmed has announced three days’ program, including the 24-hour countrywide hartal for Thursday.

 

After long six years of trial, country’s top war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami was hanged in the wee hours of Wednesday for the horrendous crimes he had committed against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 to thwart Bangladesh’s independence.

 

“Motiur Rahman Nizami was hanged at 12:10 am for his crimes against humanity,” said Senior Jail Super of Dhaka Central Jail Jahangir Kabir while talking to reporters at the jail gate around 12:30 am.

 

Acting Inspector General (Prisons) Col Iqbal Hasan, Civil Surgeon Abdul Malek Mridha, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Mohammad Salauddin and Jail Jahangir Kabir were present during the execution.

 

Escorted by law enforcers, a hearse carrying the body of executed war criminal started for his village home at Manmathpur in Santhia upazila of Pabna around 1:31 am. He buried at his village graveyard.

 

Earlier, Nizami, the 1971 commander-in-chief of Al Badr, a secret killing squad of Jamaate-e-Islami, was given the final bath followed by an imam administering him ‘tawba’ (seeking pardon to the Almighty), an Islamic ritual, in line with the practice ahead of hanging.

 

Hours before the execution, family members of Nizami, who served as the Industries Minister during the 2001-2006 BNP tenure, were allowed to meet him inside the central jail.

 

With the latest execution, five war criminals have so far been executed, while two others— Jamaat leader Ghulam Azam and BNP leader Abdul Alim who had been sentenced to imprisonment unto death— died in jail.