First of all, you Aljazeera and other prominent media either have been mum when the PROTEST began while some tried to downplay it by publishing any piece on it “neutrally” (giving minimum info and highlighting the claims by the WAR CRIMINALS). Well! We know the corporate world decisions aren’t emotion-driven, are taken to ensure money and interest, precisely profit!
However, thanks for arranging the LIVE STREAM, though after much delay!
Many so-called civilised people are also raising the issue of DEATH PENALTY by terming it “uncivilised”. Interestingly, many of those are living in the US, the top terrorist country, who HANGED former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain, are torturing numerous prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, launching drone attacks, selling and supplying weapons, expanding its reign around the world… let me mention about the Human Rights Watch, which is also raising the questions of TRANSPARENCY, IMPARTIALITY & STANDARD regarding the ongoing trial.
There’re also some Bangladeshi organisations and eminent individuals, who are either Jamaat advisors or followers of the Jamaat leaders, and working as lobbyists for the radical Islamist party, top leaders of which had committed GENOCIDE, RAPE, ARSON & LOOTING against the Bangalee people in collusion with the Occupation Army. Jamaat had formed Peace Committee (Shanti Komiti) with the help of leaders of Muslim League and Nejam-e-Islami; and established armed forces RAZAKAR, AL-BADR & AL-SHAMS with the Jamaat leaders in lead and Islami Chhatra Shangha (former name of Jamaat’s student wing) as the unit commanders and assailants. They had spread the network throughout the country to assist the Pakistan Army killing the freedom fighters and their families, ordinary people; raping and killing women & children; looting valuables from the houses of pro-liberation people after setting those on fire. The number of martyrs is no less than 3 million while around 2,00,000 were violated or killed afterwards, ONLY IN NINE MONTHS!!!
Isn’t it shocking to you, the so-called modern world chaps? Do you believe in JUSTICE or IMPUNITY?
The human beings can’t overlook such a massacre and point on the loopholes and partiality of the incumbent government to THWART THE TRIAL OF IDENTIFIED AND SELF-PROCLAIMED WAR CRIMINALS. It’s still a shame for the country as I believe the WAR for INDEPENDENCE is yet to WIN.
We all know what the US did in 1971 — they kept MUM; and what Ziaur Rahman did after 1975 – allowed Jamaat’s politics and released the 12,000 collaborators from jail and repealed the law trying the RAZAKARS on the four charges fall under WAR CRIMES or CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY — whatever the term is, they did the worst thing as BANGLADESHIS & MUSLIM too. And now the JAMAAT-SHIBIR supporters and their friends & followers are crying out loud saying that they’re being suppressed and oppressed, the tribunal is biased (at govt & people), govt is interfering, and most disgracing is, they claim the OCCUPY SHAHBAGH and the govt are trying to destroy ISLAM in the name of trial—one of the most relaxed laws in the world to try the pieces of shit, the traitors, of BANGLADESH history.
Sheikh Mujib’s General Amnesty Declaration
And when such a war criminal like Abdul Quader Mollah is given life sentence, a comfortable living with gardening, even though one but six counts against him were proved undoubtedly, we’re stunned! We’re lost! We drown down in a sea of lies and dirty politics since the same tribunal last month handed down DEATH PENALTY for Bacchu Razakar (expelled Jamaat member Abul Kalam Azad) on similar grounds! Sentencing for life is a lenient punishment for what he had done. (Read Summary of the Verdict).
Hence, he’d be able to come out free in case this government fails to come to power again upon a bull-shit law, the presidential pardon!
I don’t know who influenced the verdict, the govt or the judge himself, but I want justice. I’m not a TRAITOR, and I WANT JUSTICE.
And this is why I’ve OCCUPIED SHAHBAGH: to compel the STATE to take measures, in line with the CONSTITUTION, FIRST to ensure JUSTICE (death sentence for all razakars) for the victims of 1971; banning political activities of JAMAAT; nationalising the companies and organisations funded by the party; and trying the war criminals released earlier by preparing a list and trying them.
The opposition claims the UPRISING has been a govt-staged drama to shift people’s attention or the govt holds the lead of the PROTEST and it’s destroying ISLAM, or that the AL says the YOUTHS have come upon its call… whatever the TRUE is, did you know? Actually, those coming to SHAHBAGH aren’t staying there to get some money or gain popularity (only a handful of the million could have such intention). The people’s cause and the govt’s pledges have coincided, I guess, or whatever. That’s not my concern.
I think JAMAAT has invested billions of dollars they have earned to save the WAR CRIMINALS, their top leaders, in a planned way as those blacksheeps did know that they’d be tried someday and then they’d need money to suppress the pressure. This is what they have been doing for the last decades since 1976.
These traitors have now become CLERICS, ISLAMIST LEADERS!!! Did you know about their votes’ percentage in the last general elections? It was less than 4 percent. Then you should also REALISE what the HELL of Islam they’re preaching. Had they didn’t commit war crimes and have been serving the MUSLIMS and bringing PEACE in the society, all the MUSLIMS would have joined JAMAAT-SHIBIR and they were supposed to be in crown for generations.
And now the people of Bangladesh have risen against the JAMAAT-SHIBIR terrorist force, which is using the soil of Bangladesh and abusing Islam, since they are suspicious about the current govt whether it is trying to prolong the trail as an issue to return to power in the next elections. They’re on the streets to compel the govt to go tough against JAMAAT-SHIBIR and ensure that the trials are conducted by the prosecution and investigating agency with efficiency since the STATE IS REPRESENTING THE VICTIMS.
I’m with the OCCUPY SHAHBAGH movement even though many govt activities and policies have been bothering me to the optimum for the last four years – only to feel comfortable that the govt is not taking more time to TRY ALL THE WAR CRIMINALS and HANG THEM for the gruesome acts they had done.
More to say, more to defend the right to JUSTICE: being a concerned citizen and a human being, I feel the importance of raising some issues — murders of Bishwajit Das, journalist couple Sagar-Runi, garments workers’ leader Aminul Islam; extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances of many including BNP’s Ilias Ali; elite force RAB’s excesses on Limon and fabrication of cases; violence and extortion by Chhatra League (pro-Awami League student body); massive corruption in Padma Bridge-Destiny Group-Hall Mark; chronic corruption and irregularities in govt recruitments, promotion and transfers; nasty corruption in local govt, agriculture, energy & power, land management, civil aviation & tourism, health and other sectors that is crippling the poor people in this developing nation; negligence and irregularities in roads & communication sector; slow-pace information and communication technological advancement; failure to ensure a stop in BORDER KILLING, Teesta Deal and land boundary deal with INDIA, TICKFA treaty with the USA, and many more I could mention… but not now since I’m afraid the JAMAAT-BNP alliance with a dozen other Islamist parties might find more ways to IMPEDE the trails.
Notably, the SHAHBAGH protesters aren’t bringing the issues in front now, but they’re well concerned like me as they discuss the matter every day and planning the future steps. But don’t worry! The LOCAL MEDIA is not MUM about the SHAHBAGH and the other crucial issues ongoing. They’re not sitting idle to let the govt take a nap and also to hush up the irregularities and crimes that have been taking place.
Let me mention an irony: you JAMAAT aides are claiming that the trial is being done to destroy Jamaat while I say the govt has appointed relatively inefficient prosecutors and investigators, for which the BUTCHERS might get advantage. We won’t allow the STATE ignoring its foremost duty – to ensure rights of the people. We won’t leave the place until any visible progress is seen to meet the demands of the people in masses. The STATE and the courts must uphold the rights of the VICTIMS first. There’s no way awarding any benefit for the KILLERS. It’d be a TREACHERY.
GENUINE WAR CRIMINALS: Trial of the 195 war criminals of Pakistan Army is now possible at the tribunal, it observes in the two verdicts, since they were released upon an executive order in exchange of the safe return of 200,ooo Bangladeshis stranded there, and that the then Pakistan govt broke its promise by not putting those army officers on trial.
ABOUT SLOGANS DEMANDING DEATH PENALTY: The slogans chanted at SHAHBAGH aren’t meant to be executed whenever possible. Those are the calls of 1971 and afterwards. The apolitical people of Bangladesh aren’t violent like those of the JAMAAT-SHIBIR-BNP or the AL — who practice power-politics.
TO THOSE LOVING JAMAAT: Siding with the perpetrators won’t make anyone/any organisation popular in the history but a “traitor against the humanity”.
By Anjuman Islam, posted on February 19, 2013
1. Formally established on 26 August 1941, Jamaat -e – Islami’s (JI) intellectual inspiration came from the thoughts of Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi, a journalist, theologian and political thinker. The vision of its formations was (i) pan-Islamist in nature (Islamic state without boundary) (ii) to transcend the national boundaries to encompass all peoples and countries (iii) become the moral guardians of Pakistan: a holy community that did not dirty its hands in the mud of political wrangling” [1, 2].
2. Maududi vehemently rejected the creation of an independent state for Muslims and suggested that the new country Pakistani should be named as Napak-istan [19]. In Maududi’s own words “The establishment and birth of Pakistan is equivalent to the birth of a beast.” “Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s place is not on the throne of leadership. He deserves to face trial as a traitor” [12, 13].
After years of strong opposition towards the creation of Pakistan, denouncing Jinnah as a religious lightweight and decrying democracy as satan’s handiwork, Maududi made an astonishing 180 degree flip and embraced Pakistan, Jinnah and democracy in 1948. This is when he moved from India to Pakistan [11].
3. Moududi portrayed the Jamaat as “the moral guardians of Pakistan: a holy community that did not dirty its hands in the mud of political wrangling” [1]. JI initially limited its role in Pakistan to spreading Islam’s message and social work for the refugees who had migrated from India [3] during the partition. However the party’s initial position changed before long and Jammaat-i-Islami initiated a campaign to establish an Islamic state and involved itself in the country’s politics [2].
4. During the partition of India, princely states were given the right to choose to side with either India or Pakistan. Kashmir, a princely state, with a majority Muslim population was expected to join Pakistan but the Hindu Maharaja of the state decided it would accede with India. Pakistan, in response, declared jihad (holy war) against the Indian army in the territory. Maududi, a scholar on the subject of jihad, disagreed with the Pakistani government on terming the war a jihad and went on to make his criticism public. This resulted in his arrest along with the arrest of other Jamaat leaders [1].
5. Moududi began working to build an Islamic state and society. He relentlessly criticized the secular policies of the nascent state and berated Pakistani leaders for failing to create an Islamic political order. In 1953, Maulana Maududi wrote a staunch pamphlet which criticized the Qadiyani sect as enemies of Islam and incited people against them. The pamphlet resulted in widespread riots and violence against this minority group. Numerous murders and widespread rape was reported as part of this violence. A military court arrested Maududi for the primary force behind instigating the raiot and sentenced him to death for sedition. Later the punishment was reduced to life sentence and finally he was released from Jail in 1957 after some changes in political spectrum in 1957 [4].
6. Jammat initially was completely against participating in any democratic process, especially in Pakistan, which they declared as a ‘non-Islamic’ country. Participating in their elections will make them hypocrites as it would make their practice go against their basic philosophy. Instead of directly participating in elections, Jamaat started supporting big-name islamic leaders and tried to gain influence in the government through their support [2].
7. In 1957, there came a drastic drift in their policy as Jamaat decided to participate in national election. From the bottom-up approach of changing individuals to bring changes in the society, and thus to the political structure, Jamaat-I-Islami decided to go for the top-down approach of power sharing in a democratic government and to infuse social and individual change from that position of governance [1].
8. Before the JI could make its debut in Pakistani politics, General Ayub Khan brought a military coup in Pakistan. Khan was seen as a secular figure who intended to keep religion separate from politics [1, 2]. In order to make Pakistan into a modern state, he passed the Muslim family laws in 1961. These laws abolished unmitigated polygamy, gave powers to the women by making it compulsory for husbands to seek their wives consent for a second marriage, and abolished the practice whereby a husband could divorce his wife by saying talaq (divorce) three times [1, 2]. Seen as very progressive and in contrast to the traditional understanding of Islam, JI strongly opposed these laws and tried to put pressure on Khan to repeal them.
9. While opposing Ayub Khan in women empowerment, in 1965, JI was supporting Fatima Jinnah for her presidential campaign against Ayub Khan in 1965 even though it was against Maududi’s views on the social role of women [5]. But due to massive vote rigging Fatima Jinnah lost the 1965 election and General Ayub Khan managed to stay in power [5].
10. Towards the end of 1965, India-Pakistan war started. Ayub Khan appealed to Maududi to declare the war against India a jihad in order to legitimize the Pakistani army’s actions and to raise the morale of its soldiers [1]. Maudid, who was widely considered to be a scholar in Jihad, and who was vehemently in opposion to General Ayub, agreed to his proposiation. Ayub Khan’s meeting with religious parties – mainly the Jamaat-i-Islami under Maulana ‘Abul ‘Ala Maududi – marked the beginning of “the military-mullah nexus” [6].
11. When general Yahya Khan, another secular and brutal military leader, took the power in 1969, Jamaat went so far as to certify Yahya’s draft constitution as Islamic. The draft was authored by Justice A.R. Cornelius, Yahya’s law minister.[6, 7, 21]
12. The stage finally came for JI to test its political strength in 1970. Ayub’s successor, Yahya Khan held general elections in 1970 in which Jamaat-i-Islami took part [1] for the first time. The campaigned as a religious party and sought votes by clearly declaring that God (Allah) will be pleased if you voted for Jamaat. The expected the deeply religious people of the country would give a substantial presence in the government. Contrary to their high hopes, Jamaat received an embarrassing election result winning only 4 out of the 300 seats in the national assembly [2].
13. In 1971, General Yahya, along with the civilian politician Bhutto, planned one of the worst genocides of 20th century in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) . Jamaat supported and openly aided the Pakistan military in carrying out the genocide of unthinkable magnitude in the name of religion. The 1953 riots, killings and rapes, which led to the conviction of death penalty for Maududi, became pale against the horrific attrocities of Pakistani Army and Jamaat-i-Islami [20, 14].
14. The results of the 1970 elections and defeat in 1971 war in Bangladesh had dejected Maududi forcing him to return to his original vision of the party where it only existed as a holy community, in a domain separate from politics [1].
15. On 20th December 1971, General Yahya stepped down as the president and Bhutto took the charge who remained as martial law administrator till 14th August 1973. On 15th August, he took the oath as Prime Minister of Pakistan under the newly promulgated 1973 constitution and employed General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq as the army’s chief of staff. 1976, Bhutto summoned the general before the cabinet to explain his actions [8, 9].Later during his trial before the supreme court, Bhutto was to remark, “I appointed a Chief of Staff belonging to the Jamaat-i-Islami and the result is before all of us [9, 10].” His statement underscores the Jamaat’s increasing influence in the armed forces and the party’s role in bringing down his regime.
16. In 1976, General Zia-ul-Haq came to bringing down Bhutto’s government and imposing martial law in the country. Jamaat-i-Islami became hopeful to be a player in the national politics once again. Maududi supported Zia-ul-Haq and he was appointed as a senior statesman during Zia’s rule [1].
17. When Zia overthrew Bhutto in 1977, Maududi endorsed his Islamization initiative. Zia- ul-Haq met JI Chief Mian Tufail Mohammad for 90 minutes the night before Bhutto was hanged. The following day, the JI supporters took to the streets and distributed sweets to celebrate Bhutto’s death. Although the JI’s constitution prohibits coming into power using underground means, yet Jamaat was part of Zia’s cabinet holding the ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Production, Water and Power and National Resources [6].
18. Dr. Haider Maudoodi, the son of Maulana Maudoodi, has openly denounced the actions of Jamaat-i-Islami, the very same Jamaat his father formed and a Jamaat that is following his example to the letter. He stated in The Nation on 1/27/99 that his father was like a heroin peddler who would not allow his children to go near the drug. They never discussed Jihad at home, but he sold this idea to millions of others; Maududi never allowed any of his children to read any of his 80 books. While Jamaat-i-Islami was encouraging an uprising by Kashmiri’s against the government, Haider Maudoodi stated, “Islam does not allow them taking up arms against the State” and praised Pakistanis for not allowing religious extremists like Jamaat-i-Islami members from attaining many seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan. “My father though he could only use the people who came to him. But in his old age, he did get a taste of his medicine. When he was on his deathbed, these Maulana’s treated him as dirt” [13, 14, 15, 16].
19. Dr. Haider Maudoodi, the son of Maulana Maudoodi, also described in detail about how the Jamaat-e-islami conducted massive destruction, slaughtering of innocent people and rape of women by creating organizations such as Razakar, Al Badar etc.
20. According to Moulana Moududi’s nine children and Islamic scholars of Pakistan unanimously reached into the conclusion that Jamaat-e-islami is the mother of all Pakistan’s terrorism [17, 18, 13, 14, 15, 16].
REFERENCE:
[1] Jackson, Roy. Mawlana Mawdudi & Political Islam. New York: Routledge, 2011.
[2] WHY HAS THE JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI FAILED IN PAKISTANI POLITICS?
[3] Ai, Sheikh Jameel. Islamic Thought and Movement in The Subcontinent. New Delhi: D.K Printworld, 2010.
[4] Justice Munir Enquiry Report on Anti-Ahmadiyya riots of 1953 (English)
[5] Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza. Mawdudi and The Making of Islamic Revivalism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
[6] Real & Ugly Face of Jamat-e-Islami
[7] MMA and the NSC By A.R. Siddiqi (30 June 2004 Wednesday 11 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425)
[8] Interview with ‘Abdu’l-Hafiz Pirzadah in The Bhutto Years, 1971–1977
[9] The Vangaurd of the Islamic Revolution
[10] Quoted in Khalid B. Sayeed, Politics in Pakistan: The Nature and Direction of Change (New York, 1980), 162. [Similarly, Stanley Wolpert reports that when in 1977 the director of the Inter-Services Intelligence sent a secret report to Bhutto, informing him of the Jama‘at’s influence in the army’s Multan barracks, the prime minister responded by saying that the Jama‘at was dangerous to the army only because it received General Zia’s “official blessings and respect.” See Wolpert, Zulfi Bhutto, 280–81.]
[11] MAWDUDI’S DEVIATIONS (Let us correct our Islamic faith)
[12] Two faces of Moududi by Faisal, June 28, 2012
[13] JI Mentor Maudoodi exposed – by Yasser Latif Hamdani ( Let us build Pakistan), June 26, 2012
[14] Interview of Moulana Moududi’s son Dr. Haider Moududi ;
[15] a. Interview of Moulana Moududi’s son Dr. Haider Moududi
[16] Mawdudi, Jamat-e-Islami & Deobandis had Opposed Pakistan’s Creation. January 10, 2011
[17] Jamaat-e-Islami historically the mother of all terrorism in Pakistan
[18] Jamaat e Islami and Terrorism
[19] A youtube video about Moududi’s Napak-istan
[20] Pakistan Chief Justice Hamdur Rahman Comission’s Report
[21] Goodsoln, Larry P. “The 2008 Elections.” Journal of Democracy, 2008: 5-15.
probz & solutions 
Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2013-02-19 12:16:20.0 Updated: 2013-02-19 14:31:13.0
The prosecution on Tuesday gave details before the first war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh to back their claims that Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam had conspired to ‘commit crimes against humanity’.
Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud presented documents and exhibits explaining to the tribunal how the Azam’s actions amounted to conspiracy.
The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal – 1, set up to try crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, indicted the former Jamaat chief for five war crimes charges including complicity, incitement and conspiracy.
Citing newspaper reports, already submitted as exhibits, the prosecutor pointed out that as head of Jamaat’s East Pakistan unit Azam, along with other right wing party leaders, had met the region’s chief martial law administrator, General Tikka Khan on Apr 4, 1971.
‘Ghulam Azam backed junta for undivided Pakistan’
Sultan Mahmud srgued that it was no sudden meeting . “They had been in regular contact.”
The prosecutor also wondered why else would someone be willing to sit with a Pakistani general within days of the military crackdown known as Operation Searchlight that began on the night of Mar 25 and led to wholesale massacre of civilians, teachers and students.
Sultan Mahmud also referred to Azam’s book, where he mentions using a chauffeur-driven car on Mar 26 to go around Dhaka city despite a strictly enforced curfew. “That he went out on his car and went to visit different areas of Dhaka says much.”
Azam has been charged with six counts of conspiracy. On Apr 4 of 1971, he is alleged to “have discussed, planned and decided the means to enforce the evil designs” of the occupying Pakistan Army” during the meeting with Tikka Khan, a three-star general.
Mahmud said that formation of the Peace Committee — Nagorik Committee, later renamed as Nagorik Shanti Committee — was a direct consequence of this Apr 4 meeting.
Ghulam Azam is alleged to have met again with Tikka Khan, two days later, with several other political leaders, as part of the conspiracy. “In this meeting also, various ways to assist the occupying Pakistan Army were discussed along with the topic of forming auxiliary forces.”
Azam then took part in a Peace Committee sub-group meeting on Apr 14, 1971. This smaller group was called Peace and Welfare Steering Committee.
Mahmud had noted on Monday that Azam was part of almost all the sub-groups since he was the only one who headed a regimented party with enough manpower, while the rest were usually one-man show.
At this Apr 14 meeting, the indictment order states, “During this conspiratorial meeting, with the goal of gaining the confidence of people and establishing a so-called ‘peace’ and fighting against the so-called ‘Indian plans and aggression’, various policies and plans were agreed upon to organize the people.”
The prosecutor went through his exhibits citing newspaper reports explaining the contents of a high-level meeting with the Pakistani president, General Yahiya Khan on Jun 19 that year.
The exhibits related to Azam’s own statements, as covered by the media, about what he and the president had talked about during their parley.
After evaluating the situation of the previous three months, the participants made plans “to effectively control the civilian population by unifying those who believe in the ideal of Pakistan”, the charges state.
Two days later, Azam is alleged to have conspired further at a meeting with All Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Syed Abul Ala Moududi. At this May 20 meeting, Jamaat founder Moududi and his close disciple Azam apparently “reviewed the activities and party policies of Jamaat-e-Islami and discussed the party’s plans and activities and the implementing of those plans.”
Later, in December that same year, not even two weeks before the Pakistani army surrendered, Azam met with the president again, this time for over an hour. Azam is charged with demanding an increase of Razakar forces at this meeting. He is also said to have urged the president to supply arms to those people who believed in the ideal and unity of Pakistan in order to confront the people of East Pakistan, whom he referred to as ‘dushkritikari’ — roughly translating to ‘miscreants’ in English.
This is also when Azam is alleged to have masterminded a ‘final solution’, which was carried out — by members of Jamaat-e-Islami, Peace Committee, Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams — till the day of liberation on Dec 16, 1971.
The closing arguments will resume Wednesday.
Jamaat Guru in ICT-1
On Dec 12, 2011, the prosecution brought a 52-point charter of charges against Azam and appealed for his arrest. Later, following the tribunal order, charges were re-arranged and presented to the tribunal on Jan 5.
He was produced before the tribunal on Jan 11 and sent to jail the same day. Since that evening, the 89-year old former Carmichael College professor has been kept at the prison cell of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for better treatment considering his delicate health.
Ghulam Azam’s indictment hearing began on Feb 15 and the court charged him on May 13.
A former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, arguably the largest Islamist organisation in the subcontinent, Azam is allegedly among the key people who pioneered anti-liberation efforts in 1971 by colluding with the Pakistani military junta.
He is widely perceived to have been among core group of right-wing supporters of the Pakistani Army, who came out strongly in support of a united Pakistan.
Ghulam Azam, then chief of Jamaat, was instrumental in setting up the infamous Peace Committee at the national level. The Razakars, an auxiliary force set up mainly to actively thwart the liberation forces, are said to have been mobilised through the Peace Committees across Bangladesh.
Among the most notorious vigilante militia are the Al Badr, whose membership is said to have been mainly dominated by the Jamaat’s student wing called the Islami Chhatra Sangha at that time.
The Al Badr is alleged to have spearheaded execution of Bengali intellectuals just days before the victory on Dec 16, 1971.
Azam also spoke in favour of Pakistan to the Middle Eastern countries during the war, according to the prosecution.
He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and returned to Bangladesh in 1978 during BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s rule. Having led Jamaat for a long time , Azam retired from active politics in 1999.
His party remains a key ally of the main opposition BNP. Two Jamaat leaders, also behind bars for war crimes charges, have even served as ministers during the BNP’s last tenure in government between 2001 and 2006, when Azam’s party was part of the ruling coalition.
Azam was indicted on five charges including incitement, conspiracy and abetment.
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