Is Mohammad Kamaruzzaman a war criminal?

[Khalid Newazi]

Bangladesh hanged a top leader of an Islamist opposition group Saturday for alleged crimes against humanity committed during the country's bloody 1971 war for independence.

Kamaruzzaman was the senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami. He is the second leader of the group to be hanged following verdicts handed down by a war crimes court in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

The 62 year old Kazimuddin was accused of rape, deportation and killing. But the claims only came as him being the commander of Al Badr, a group that allegedly collaborated with the Pakistani Army.

During 1971 Kazimuddin was only 18 and if you aren't aware of Al-Badr, they were a paramilitary wing that was hugely successful against the mukhti-jodhas. There is no way Pakistan Army would let someone so young and without any military experience lead such an Army that was essential for their war.

Moreover the decision was made by a war-crime tribunal that was marred with controversy and its true intentions were highly questionable.

There is also questions of whether this is the government's attempt to further weaken opposition as it has been secretly killing BNP leaders by "disappearing" them and weaken and also weakening the Military's ability to intervene through the BDR carnage.

@khair_ctg @asad71 @aazidane @BDforever @monitor @Saiful Islam @Al-zakir @Luffy 500 @Loki @masud and others share your views.

 

[Saiful Islam]

Some points made by Ajmal Masroor on the death:

1. Kamruzaman is now 62 years old and it's been 44 years since the independence war. He was 17 or 18 years old during the independence war. He would have been extremely mature or totally duped to have carried out murder of 183 people in his home district in northern Bangladesh. He would have been extraordinarily charismatic leader to have led a group that took part in war crimes. This does not sound plausible but can anyone provide evidence of his real involvement in such heinous crimes?

2. How is it that the police has submitted testimonies of witnesses whose whereabouts have never been truly established and whether or not those witnesses actually made those testimonies has never been put to a judicial test. How is it legally acceptable to submit and court to accept such questionable documents?

3. How will justice ever be served if the legal process is seriously questionable and how will it ever end the cycle of violence from a country whose entire history has been authored in blood? How will wrongful execution of anyone ever draw a line under the painful past of this nation?

I am terribly disturbed by the murderous and belligerent attitude of the Prime Minister of Bangldesh whose only motto has been to avenge the killing of her father and remain in power by hook or by crook. The war crimes tribunal has always been a show trail. She has used the security apparatus and the judiciary to rule the country by fear. She has presided over the arrests and detentions of the oppositions party members and leaders without charges and the few that have been charged have been framed using fictitious accusations. She has ordered the security services to murder ordinary public who oppose her Hitler like rule and her party members have taken to the streets of Bangladesh with weapons including pistols and revolvers to terrorise the nation and openly shoot to kill the opposition.

And as far as the war crime trials are concerned she has personally taken active role in dictating the legal outcome. She has always been the judge, jury and executioner all in one!

The government may execute by hanging a long list of opposition leaders but this will never bring an end to the cycle of violence and counter violence in the bloody politics of Bangladesh. It needs an end to politics driven by hatred and an emergence of new political identity that shows politics of maturity and inclusivity.

Bangladesh needs urgent change and only ordinary Bangladeshis can bring that change.

@Khalid Newazi @Doyalbaba @khair_ctg @Al-zakir and all the others.

 

[Sine Nomine]

RIP innocent.

 

[SafShikan]

I am terribly disturbed by the murderous and belligerent attitude of the Prime Minister of Bangldesh whose only motto has been to avenge the killing of her father and remain in power by hook or by crook. The war crimes tribunal has always been a show trail. She has used the security apparatus and the judiciary to rule the country by fear. She has presided over the arrests and detentions of the oppositions party members and leaders without charges and the few that have been charged have been framed using fictitious accusations. She has ordered the security services to murder ordinary public who oppose her Hitler like rule and her party members have taken to the streets of Bangladesh with weapons including pistols and revolvers to terrorise the nation and openly shoot to kill the opposition.

And as far as the war crime trials are concerned she has personally taken active role in dictating the legal outcome. She has always been the judge, jury and executioner all in one!

The government may execute by hanging a long list of opposition leaders but this will never bring an end to the cycle of violence and counter violence in the bloody politics of Bangladesh. It needs an end to politics driven by hatred and an emergence of new political identity that shows politics of maturity and inclusivity.
@Khalid Newazi @Doyalbaba @khair_ctg @Al-zakir and all the others.

looks like you need another independence...thank God western Pakistan is no more involved !!

 

[khair_ctg]

Bangladesh hanged a top leader of an Islamist opposition group Saturday for alleged crimes against humanity committed during the country's bloody 1971 war for independence.

Kamaruzzaman was the senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami. He is the second leader of the group to be hanged following verdicts handed down by a war crimes court in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

The 62 year old Kazimuddin was accused of rape, deportation and killing. But the claims only came as him being the commander of Al Badr, a group that allegedly collaborated with the Pakistani Army.

During 1971 Kazimuddin was only 18 and if you aren't aware of Al-Badr, they were a paramilitary wing that was hugely successful against the mukhti-jodhas. There is no way Pakistan Army would let someone so young and without any military experience lead such an Army that was essential for their war.

Moreover the decision was made by a war-crime tribunal that was marred with controversy and its true intentions were highly questionable.

There is also questions of whether this is the government's attempt to further weaken opposition as it has been secretly killing BNP leaders by "disappearing" them and weaken and also weakening the Military's ability to intervene through the BDR carnage.

@khair_ctg @asad71 @aazidane @BDforever @monitor @Saiful Islam @Al-zakir @Luffy 500 @Loki @masud and others share your views.

if Pol Pot arranged an International Genocide Tribunal to further kill opponents, this is what that would look like. the war criminals here are the very people who started this killing machine called "International Crimes tribunal"

almost all East Pakistanis wanted to progress as a people within the framework of United Pakistan. so obviously there were people who politically supported or actively fought for the sovereignty of East Pakistan from Indian takeover. Bangladeshis who still just maintain that stance to this day or who are not affiliated with BAL are the "war criminals", whether they had taken up arms or not. btw even if they had taken up arms and fought in a battle, that does not make them war criminals.

from their nature, there was more likelihood of war crimes committed by Indian-trained Bengali irregulars and Indian agents, than by Pakistan govt-affiliated bodies. still atrocities, big or small, were committed from all sides. but India (backed by Soviet Union) and the Bengali irregulars were the aggressors here.

different people chose different sides at that time, whether they regretted it later/changed out of devious interests or not.

the aggressors of the 1971 conflict became the victors and I believe have carved out their stronghold in what is today Bangladesh. they can now do anything to anyone they please continuing their 1971 aggression with impunity.

 

[Zabaniyah]

At 18 years old, it is possible to be a foot soldier @Khalid Newazi

The matter of Rajakars is very complicated. I guess some things are best left to time to reveal themselves. Apparently, there are collaborators in the ruling party as well.

Coming to the present, the JI is by far the largest Islamist party in the country, even given its controversial history (yes they did lobby against the creation of what is now known as Bangladesh).

Given that they are slowly, but surely taken out of the nation's political equation, the question remains; would it bode well for the nation's sociopolitical balance? There are people with views of political Islam. I do not think the ruling party can satisfy that demographic, particularly in villages and districts where such standing have the lion's share. How can one change the ideals or perhaps culture of millions in a decade? It's absurd.

It would have been in the interests of common Bangladeshis to see both a strong AL and BNP united under one house called democracy.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Some points made by Ajmal Masroor on the death:

1. Kamruzaman is now 62 years old and it's been 44 years since the independence war. He was 17 or 18 years old during the independence war. He would have been extremely mature or totally duped to have carried out murder of 183 people in his home district in northern Bangladesh. He would have been extraordinarily charismatic leader to have led a group that took part in war crimes. This does not sound plausible but can anyone provide evidence of his real involvement in such heinous crimes?

2. How is it that the police has submitted testimonies of witnesses whose whereabouts have never been truly established and whether or not those witnesses actually made those testimonies has never been put to a judicial test. How is it legally acceptable to submit and court to accept such questionable documents?

3. How will justice ever be served if the legal process is seriously questionable and how will it ever end the cycle of violence from a country whose entire history has been authored in blood? How will wrongful execution of anyone ever draw a line under the painful past of this nation?

I am terribly disturbed by the murderous and belligerent attitude of the Prime Minister of Bangldesh whose only motto has been to avenge the killing of her father and remain in power by hook or by crook. The war crimes tribunal has always been a show trail. She has used the security apparatus and the judiciary to rule the country by fear. She has presided over the arrests and detentions of the oppositions party members and leaders without charges and the few that have been charged have been framed using fictitious accusations. She has ordered the security services to murder ordinary public who oppose her Hitler like rule and her party members have taken to the streets of Bangladesh with weapons including pistols and revolvers to terrorise the nation and openly shoot to kill the opposition.

And as far as the war crime trials are concerned she has personally taken active role in dictating the legal outcome. She has always been the judge, jury and executioner all in one!

The government may execute by hanging a long list of opposition leaders but this will never bring an end to the cycle of violence and counter violence in the bloody politics of Bangladesh. It needs an end to politics driven by hatred and an emergence of new political identity that shows politics of maturity and inclusivity.

Bangladesh needs urgent change and only ordinary Bangladeshis can bring that change.

@Khalid Newazi @Doyalbaba @khair_ctg @Al-zakir and all the others.

Had an read regarding this "Village of Widows"

‘Village of widows’ pleased with pro-Pakistan militia leader Kamaruzzaman's execution -
bdnews24.com

 

[khair_ctg]

At 18 years old, it is possible to be a foot soldier @Khalid Newazi

The matter of Rajakars is very complicated. I guess some things are best left to time to reveal themselves. Apparently, there are collaborators in the ruling party as well.

Coming to the present, the JI is by far the largest Islamist party in the country, even given its controversial history (yes they did lobby against the creation of what is now known as Bangladesh).

Given that they are slowly, but surely taken out of the nation's political equation, the question remains; would it bode well for the nation's sociopolitical balance? There are people with views of political Islam. I do not think the ruling party can satisfy that demographic, particularly in villages and districts where such standing have the lion's share. How can one change the ideals or perhaps culture of millions in a decade? It's absurd.

It would have been in the interests of common Bangladeshis to see both a strong AL and BNP united under one house called democracy.

there is nothing controversial about JI. in fact it is the opposite. 'lobbying' against Bangladesh is the most un-controversial thing to do. lobbying against Bangladesh showed they were against the violent overthrow of the popular East Pakistan framework from 1947. they stood with the people and the historic aspirations of the very people of this landmass. they showed themselves to be a principled party which is a rarity.

BAL and India don't give rats *** that millions of Bangladeshis will be without a party that represents them or that the situation might possibly destabilize Bangladesh. BAL and India knows by now Bangladeshi people can be scared and tamed just by using bullets and ropes on a few.

The matter of Rajakars is very complicated. I guess some things are best left to time to reveal themselves. Apparently, there are collaborators in the ruling party as well.

who were those collaborators collaborating with? with their own Pakistan government? was that the wrong thing to do?

it is not more complicated than militant leftists and India putting chokehold on Bangladesh to sustain the fascist system they started in 1971.

 

[Zabaniyah]

there is nothing controversial about JI. in fact it is the opposite. 'lobbying' against Bangladesh is the most un-controversial thing to do. lobbying against Bangladesh showed they were against the violent overthrow of the popular East Pakistan framework from 1947. they stood with the people and the historic aspirations of the very people of this landmass. they showed themselves to be a principled party which is a rarity.

BAL and India don't give rats *** that millions of Bangladeshis will be without a party that represents them or that the situation might possibly destabilize Bangladesh. BAL and India knows by now Bangladeshi people can be scared and tamed just by using bullets and ropes on a few.

who were those collaborators collaborating with? with their own Pakistan government? was that the wrong thing to do?

it is not more complicated than militant leftists and India putting chokehold on Bangladesh to sustain the fascist system they started in 1971.

You are entitled to your personal views.

 

[SharlokJBRholmes]

BAL is just,what to say murdering opposition people by law.