Dhaka, Jan 2 (IANS) The chief of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), his deputy and seven others are to be tried for murdering two freedom fighters in 1971 in a case that harks back to the liberation movement against the then Pakistan government.
Jamaat’s Amir Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and seven members of the country’s largest Islamist party are accused of killing Osman Gani and Golam Mostafa alias Tukub Ali on Nov 25, 1971, barely three weeks before the country was liberated.
Mozaffar Hossain, a former army officer who fought the liberation war and is now chief of Dhaka district unit of a freedom fighters’ organisation, lodged the complaint Tuesday at the Keraniganj police station.
He did it after a chief judicial magistrate’s court in Dhaka in compliance of legal procedures asked him 15 days back to file a First Information Report (FIR) with the police before it could take up the case for hearing.
Police station Officer-in-charge Mallick Ruhul Islam told The Daily Star newspaper that he had started investigations.
Political analysts said this was part of a concerted move by former freedom fighters, supported by many of the mainstream political parties, including the Awami League, to offer political fight to the JeI. The step is aimed at blocking its recognition by the Election Commission and eventually to debar it from contesting elections.
JeI, that leads an Islamist front, had 18 members in the last National Assembly and had won over four percent of the total votes polled.
In alliance with former prime minister Khaleda Zia, the JeI shared power during 2001-06. Nizami and Mujahid were ministers in the Zia government till October 2006.
As per the complaint, Nizami was made al-Badr commander of Pakistan while Mojahid acted as commander of its East Pakistan wing. The JeI and other Islamist outfits deny involvement in murders and say those accused of collaborating with the Pakistan Army and the then East Pakistan government were convicted soon after Bangladesh independence.
Freedom fighters, however, cite records of that era, including books on Bangladesh’s liberation movement, that cite these people for having organised militia that killed political opponents, teachers and intellectuals.
Bangladesh’s official records say close to three million people were killed during the nine-month freedom movement.
Other accused are JeI’ two assistant secretary generals – Abdul Quader Molla and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.
Three other JeI leaders accused of involvement in the murders are Amir Haji Nazim Uddin, K.G. Karim Babla, and Abul Kashem. Kashem, Foyzur Rahman Foyaz and Yasin were al-Badr, Razakar and al-Shams activists respectively during the liberation war.