Hanged war criminal Mir Quasem buried in Manikganj

Mir Quasem Ali, believed to be the main financer of anti-liberation party Jamaat-e-Islami, who was hanged on Saturday night for the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, was buried at Chala village in Harirampur upazila of Manikganj district early Sunday.

Mir Quasem was buried at a lemon orchard at his native home around 3.40am after a namaj-e-janaza, reports UNB.

Earlier around 12:30 am on Sunday, escorted by law enforcers, a hearse carrying the body of the executed war criminal left the jail gate for Harirampur.

The ambulance with the body reached there around 2.45.

Later the body was handed over to Quasem’s wife Khandaker Ayesha Khatun in presence of Additional Police Superintendent Jakir Hossain and executive magistrate Iqbal Pathan around 3:00am, said Superintendent of Police Mahfuzur Rahman.

The janaza was held around 3.30am, conducted by Abul Hasan, son-in-law of Quasem’s brother.

Law enforcers barred general people’s presence within 2/3 kilometers of the janaza venue.

The janaza was held with presence of only around 40 family members and relatives of Quasem Ali.

After over four years of trial, the 63-year-old Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami central leader was executed in Kashimpur Central Jail at 10:30 pm on Saturday.

With the latest execution, six 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.

Earlier, Jamaat leaders Abdul Quader Mollah, AHM Kamaruzzaman, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami were executed as they had been awarded death penalty for their crimes against humanity in 1971.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death penalty for Quasem for his war crimes, turning down his appeal to review the death penalty.

On November 2, 2014, International Crimes Tribunal-2 handed down the capital punishment to Quasem over 1971 crimes against humanity.

He had been given death penalty on two charges, including killing seven people after abduction in Chittagong.

He was also awarded a total of 72-year imprisonment on eight other proven charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning.

As he challenged the verdict at the Supreme Court, it upheld his death sentence on one charge -- the killing of young freedom fighter Jasim Uddin at Dalim Hotel -- and jail terms on six other charges for his involvement in abduction, confinement and torture of freedom fighters and innocent people.

It, however, acquitted him of the other three charges, including a murder charge on which he was sentenced to death by the ICT-2.

On June 19, Quasem submitted his petition seeking a review of his capital punishment.

Justice finally caught up with him with Quasem’s execution, nearly forty-five years after he committed horrendous crimes against humanity. He is the fifth Jamaat leader hanged so far for war crimes

He was arrested on June 17, 2012, from the office of the Daily Naya Diganta and charges were framed against him on September 5, 2013.