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Bangladesh: Jamaat 2 executed for crimes of 1971

The English-language Daily Star recalled that minority Hindus had been attacked and killed and their homes torched under Mr Chowdhury’s leadership.

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“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 during the war.

Mollah was hanged on 12 December, 2013 while Kamaruzzaman was executed on 11 April this year.

Two unknown attackers opened shots at the vehicle and wounded reporter Rajib Sen, according to Naimul Hasan, additional police superintendent of Chittagong.

Following the Supreme Court’s earlier verdict upholding their death sentences, Chowdhury and Mujahid – both convicted for genocide and rape – were hanged on Sunday, 22 November in Dhaka’s central jail.

President Hamid rejected their mercy petitions last evening, hours after they had sought presidential clemency in a last-ditch attempt to escape the gallows.

“The media reports saying that he (Mujahid) has sought the presidential clemency is not true, rather he had sought to consult his lawyers on the matter while meeting the family members two days ago”, Jamaat general secretary Shafiqur Rahman had said in a statement. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denied the allegations. He was the senior-most leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to be sentenced for crimes against humanity.

Mr Haq said that Islamabad had adopted silence on the execution of those people who had shown loyalty towards Pakistan and supported its soldiers in 1971 war.

In the statement, a spokesperson of Pakistan foreign ministry said, “We have noted with deep concern and anguish the unfortunate executions…”

More than 15 people, mostly leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, have been convicted of war crimes.

He is a six-times ex-lawmaker and a top aide to Khaleda Zia, leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

East Pakistan broke away to become independent Bangladesh after a war between India and Pakistan.

In a letter sent to the top U.S. diplomat for South Asia, leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee voiced concern that democratic space was shrinking amid a growing climate of violence, fear and self-censorship in Bangladesh, which is mostly Muslim but has a strong secular tradition. They are instead anxious about the murder of four secular bloggers, a publisher, an Italian aid worker and a Japanese agriculture researcher in attacks purportedly carried out by Takfiri militants.

The JI chief said that successive governments had mortgaged the country with the World Bank and other worldwide financial institutions.

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Critics say the war crimes trials in Bangladesh are a tool of revenge and the real aims are to target the political opposition.

Bangladesh executes 2 opposition leaders despite concerns