ebulle n / BDWatch, Canada / December 2013 / Vol.

Be vocal against Judicial murder in Bangladesh

AbdulQaderMolla,theleaderoftheJamaateIslami PartyrecentlysentencedtolifeimprisonmentinBang ladesh,appliedtothecourtofappealandwassen tencedtodeathbytheSupremeCourtwhilewai ngfortherulingtobe overturned. Thissentenceofdeath,duetobecarriedoutquietly,hasbeenexposedto theeyesoftheworld,par cularlyasaresultofhugereac onsinsocial media. TheBangladeshigovernmentthereforepostponedthesentenceforone dayandsoughttogain mebysayingitwouldbereconsideredbythe court. Atthecourthearingonedaylater,thedefensewasheardsolelyasafor mality,andthesentenceofdeathwasagainimposedwithoutanyaddi onalcounselbeingsought. HeadofstateSheikhHasinaannouncedviaTwi erthatallthemembers oftheJamaateIslami,denouncedaswarcriminalsonthegroundsof havingcollaboratedwithPakistanduringthewarofindependencein 1971,wouldsuerthesamefateandstatedthatBangladeshisasecular country.However,thiscapitalpunishmentisaterribleprac cediametri callyopposedtosecularism;itsurvivesonlyinstatesthatoperateasem piresoffear. Theexecu onofAbdulQaderMollatookplaceatDhakaCentralJailat 22:01local me(16:01GMT)onThursdayevening,ocialsannounced. HewastherstpersonconvictedbyBangladesh'sInterna onalCrimes Tribunal(ICT)tobeexecuted. TheICTwassetupin2010toinves gateabusescommi edduringthe 1971conictbuthumanrightsgroupshavealsoexpressedconcernthat thecourtfallsshortofinterna onalstandards. MollawassentencedinSeptembera erbeingconvictedofcrimesagainst humanitythatdatebackto1971,duringthecountryswarforindepend ence. MollawastheassistantsecretarygeneralfortheJamaateIslamiparty, whichearlierthisyearwasbannedfromtakingpartinelec ons. It is deeply regre able that Bangladesh government didnt pay heed to numerous concerns and warnings by interna onal community in order to make the pro cess of trial under Interna onal War Crimes Tribunal (ICT) fair including the request of Secretary of State John Kerry, UN high commissioner for Human Rights, Foreign Minister of UK, Prime Minister of Turkey, Hu man Rights Watch, EU subcommi ee for human rights reques ng Prime minister of Bangladesh that this process follows under the interna onal jurisdic on. But Government has rushed to judgment and execut ed a man by breaching all interna onal norms. This execu on, in all likelihood, will derail the elec on process in Bangladesh. Interna onal community has to take responsibility for what happened today. Interna onal community should halt the consequences of what this event will bring. Interna onal community should give pressure to Bangladesh government not use force against any protest. Bangladesh government should understand that that their response to this is under the watchful eye of interna onal community par cularly Interna onal Criminal court as Bangladesh is a state party to the Rome Stature. The ruling government has tarnished the image of the na on before the world communi es. They denied the call and opinion of United Na ons, United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Australia, and Malaysia and dierent other forums and thus they are mulling to disconnect the country from rest parts of the world. All the Bangladeshis and the interna onal community should be vocal against this heinous conspiracy of judicial murder of this government.

Concerns over trial

TwoU.N.humanrightsexpertscalledon Bangladeshtohalttheexecu onbecauseof concernsthatMolladidnotreceiveafair trial. Therightofappealisofpar cularim portanceindeathpenaltycases,saidGa brielaKnaul,U.N.specialrapporteuronthe independenceofjudgesandlawyers. Anyoneconvictedofacrimehastherightto havehisorherconvic onandsentencere viewedbyahighertribunal,aslaiddownin theInterna onalCovenantonCivilandPo li calRightstowhichBangladeshisaparty, shesaidinastatement. Thisprovisionisviolatedwhereacourtof nalinstanceimposesaharshersentence thatcannotbereviewed,thestatement said. ChristofHeyns,U.N.specialrapporteuron summaryexecu ons,saidcapitalpunish mentmaybeimposedonlyfollowingatrial thatcompliedwithfairtrialanddueprocess safeguards.Onlyfullrespectforstringent dueprocessguaranteesdis nguishescapital punishmentaspossiblypermi edunder interna onallawfromasummaryexecu on, whichbydeni onviolateshumanrights standards. U.N.HighCommissionerforHumanRights NaviPillaycalledforastay,sayingthetrial hadnotmetstringentinterna onalstand ardsforthedeathpenalty,theU.N.saidina statement. TheUnitedNa onsopposesthedeathpenal tyinanycircumstance.

By materializing their ill move Awami lead government has executed a heinous murder in the human history.
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Shaheed Abdul Qader Mollah: A brief background h p://www.scribd.com/ doc/191530653/Shaheed AbdulQaderMollahAbrief background Why Molla should not be hanged By: David Bergman h p://www.scribd.com/ doc/191531175/WhyMolla ShouldNotBeHanged Shaheed Insha Allah Abdul Quader Mollah h p://www.scribd.com/ doc/191531613/ShaheedInsha Allah%E2%80%93Abdul QuaderMollah

Judicial murder by Awamiled government

Itisnowcrystalclearthatthegovernmentwastryingtoimplementitsconspiracy tokillAbdulQaderMollajudicially.Thetrialwhichhehadfacedhadbecome ques onablebyallmeansduevariousscamslikeskypescandalandsafehome scandal.Thetribunalisconduc ngthetrialbutsurprisinglytherulingministers arexingthedate. Thebiggestdrawbackofthispar cularcaseisthetes monyoffalseMomena Begum.TheSupremeCourthasawardedMollawithdeathpenaltyonthisbasisof thetes monyofthisladywhohaddelivered3dierentstatementsinthree dierentoccasions.ButAppellatedivisionjudgeAbdulWahabMiahasgavea dissen ngview. Sincetheonset,thetrialwasbeingprecededasperthedesignofthegovern ment.Worldcommuni eshaveexpressedgreatconcernoverthedeathexecu onbutthegovernmentiscon nuingitsprocessdefyingalltheserecommenda ons. UN Human rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, two UN experts, United Na ons, United Kingdom, Human Rights Watch, Bri sh senior foreign oce minister, Turkey, Australia, Bri sh MPs, Lord Avebury, Lord Carlile have issued statement to halt the execu on. But the government was carrying eort to execute this opposi on leader to divert the movement which is going on protes ng the one party elec on ini a ve and to a ain their ill poli cal interest. Bymaterializingtheirillmo veAwamileadgovernmenthasexecutedaheinous murderinthehumanhistory.

Molla was deprived from judicial and fundamental rights

ThegovernmenthasmurderedAbdulQaderMollainapreplannedwayinthenameofexe cu ngtheverdict.BydeprivingAbdulQaderMollafromhisjudicialandfundamentalrights, thegovernmenthassubduedtheruleoflawandhumanrights. AbdulQaderMollahadexpressedhislastdesiretoconsulthislawyersregardingtherejec onofthereviewpe onandotherlegalissues.Butthegovernmenthasdeprivedhimfrom hisright.Thegovernmenthasmurderedhimat10.01pmonThursdayasperitsblueprint design. ThepeopleofBangladeshandinterna onalcommuni eshavebecomevocalagainstthis heinous,barbarousandcruelmurder. Cruelty towards Mollas family Whenthefamilywasseverelyaggrievedandtakingprepara onfortakingpartinthefuneral prayerinhisna vedistrict,theycameunderviciousa ackoftherulingAwamiLeagueca dres.6familymenbecamewounded. PoliceandRABatthat meenteredintothehouseandarrested11membersofthefamily. Suchacruelroleofthelawenforcersisunprecedented. HasinagovernmenthasdeprivedAbdulQaderMollasfamilyevenfromtakingpartinthelast funeralprayer.Eventheycouldnotallowthefamilymentoseethefaceoftheirguardianfor thelast me. Thegovernmenthasviolatedthereligiousspiritandvaluesbynotle ngthefamilytotake partinfuneralprayerandtoseetheirfathersface. Wevehementlycondemnsuchunlawful,inhumanandbarbaricroleofthegovernment.The AwamiLeaguegovernmenthastofacetrialfortheirmisdeeds.

Violation of religious spirit and values

Wellwishersofthisbelovedpoli cal andreligiousleaderdeclaredJanaja (prayerinabsen a)inallthedistricts, subdistrictsofthecountrycommem ora ngthedeceased. Theadministra onshaveobstructed peopleinmanyplacesfromjoining thisprayer. Thelawenforcersalsoa ackedon theprayergoingpeople.3ooopposi onmenhavebeenwoundedand 150peoplehavebeenarrestedinthe a ackandprocessionofthepolice andlawenforcersinvariousplacesof thecountryincludingDhaka,Chi a gong,Gazipur,Rajshahi,Jessore, Kush a,Pirojpur,Shatkhira,Noakhali, Lakhipur,Joypurhat,Dinajpur,Natore andMouloviBazar. Inthepostexecu onviolence, 7killedinLakhipur,oneinPirojpur, oneinComillaandoneinNoakhali havebeenkilledina ackofthe policeandtherulingpartycadres. Followingtheexecu on,whenthe na onispassingdayswithduetoler anceatthat methegovernment anditsagencieshavecreatedchaos andanarchyna onwidetoa ainill poli calinterest. Theycarriedincidentofarsonand vandalisminDhaka,Rajshahiand someotherplacesofthecountryand triedtoshi theblameuponthe JamaatShibirac vists. This government will be marked for sponsoring state terrorism, viola ng human rights and for conduc ng preplanned poli cal murder.

AbduL Qader Molla: A Legendary Personality

A Poli an JoinedBangladeshJamaateIslamiin1977andperformeddierentdu es. AssistantSecretaryGeneralofBangladeshJamaateIslamiatthe meofexecu on. A successful journalist In1981hejoinedTheDailySangramastheExecu veEditor. HewaselectedastheGeneralSecretaryofDhakaJournalistUnionandperformedhisdutythere fortwoconsecu veterms(19821983). A meritorious student in1975,hestoodrstinrstclassobtainingarecordbreakingscorein thediplomadegreeofsocialResearchDepartmentfromDhakaUniversity. HewasgoldmedalistfromDhakaUniversityforhisrecordbreakingscoreinhispostgradua on. SheikhMujiburRahmanwasthepresidentofBangladeshbackthen. In1977heagainstoodrstinrstdivisioninhispostgradua ononEduca onAdministra on. An honorable Teacher InthesameyearhejoinedasanassociateteacherofUdayanSchoolthat islocatedinthecenterofDhakaUniversity. A erthat,hejoinedasaseniorteacherofBangladeshRiesPublicSchoolandCollege(i.e.pre sentNoorMuhammadPublicSchoolandCollege). Thenhebecametheac ngprincipleofthesamecollege. HeperformedhisdutyasafoundersecretaryofManaratInterna onalSchoolandCollege ll 1979.

Why Molla should not be hanged

Unreliability of witness tes mony is reason alone why Molla should not be hanged The biggest drawback of this par cular case is the tes mony of false Momena Begum. The Supreme Court has awarded Molla with death penalty on this basis of the tes mony of this lady who had delivered 3 dierent statements in three dierent occasions. In neither statement did she men on that Molla was present at the scene of the crime in both statements she claimed that it was Biharis who came to her familys house accompanied by Pakistan military. No men on of any Ben gali man, yet alone a person called Molla in either.

Inthestatementtothelibera onwarmuseumresearchersheevensaidthatshewasnotaneyewitness,havingtravelledtwo daysearliertoherinlawshouse. Theinconsistenciesinthesestatementswhichgototheveryheartoftheprosecu onscaseraiseseriousdoubtsasto meritoftheconvic on. Convic onrequiresthatanoencebeprovedbeyondreasonabledoubt. Inthecontextofthisoence,thismustmeanthatthetribunalhad(pu ngtoothervariouslegalissues)tobesureor convincedofthetruthofMomenasclaimmadeinhertes monyincourtthatMollawaspresentwhenherfamilywasmassa cred. Thetrialconcernsevents42yearsagoalongperiodof metohavepassedpriortoatrialtakingplace.

In its judgment, the tribunal did not engage directly with the statement Momena made in 2007, but did consider the overall relevancy of the statements taken by the libera on war museum researchers. It stated: The tribunal refrains from taking the account made to a nonjudicial body into considera on for the purpose of determining credibility of tes mony of witnesses made before the tribunal.

Itgaveanumberofreasonsforthis. First,thatthephotographedcopyoftheallegedstatementsubmi edbeforethisTribunalwasnotauthen cated. However,thetribunalhadearlierrefusedanapplica onbythedefencelawyersaskingittorequesttheoriginaldocuments fromthemuseumsomethingwhichithadthepowertodo. So in summary: the sole basis of Mollas death sentence is the uncorroborated tes mony of a single witness who said (having suered a mental breakdown, and whilst wearing a hijab) that the accused was present at a crime scene, in recollec on of events 43 years previously when she was 12 or 13 years of age, and where she had, up l that point, never men oned his presence at the scene, and where her tes mony was inconsistent with two other statements she had given (including one to an inves ga on ocer). WhilstitisofcourseitiscertainlypossiblethatMollawaspresentatthe meofthemassacre,inlightofallthecombina onof thereasonsabove,thereremainssucientdoubtaboutthereliabilityofMomenastes mony,thatitreallyshouldnotbethe basistoconvicthimforthisoenceand,signicantly,bethereasonwhyheisputtodeath. It is just as likely, with this context above, that prior to the trial this vulnerable women was pressed to include the name of Molla in her tes mony. Something that the tribunal did not consider at all. Thedetailedgroundsofwhytheappellatedivisionthoughtthatadeathpenaltywasappropriatehavenotyetbeenpublished. Itwillobviouslybeinteres ngtoseewhyinlightoftheabove,thecourtfeltitappropriatenotjusttoupholdtheconvic on butalsotopassthedeathpenalty. However,atleastthisisnottheendoftheroad:theappellatedivisiondoeshavetheopportunitytocorrectitselfifitconsid ersreviewingitsdecision. If it does not, whilst Mollas death may sa sfy those convinced of his guilt, it will, to say the very least, not be a golden day in the countrys criminal jus ce system. Source: David Bergman Blog: h p://bangladeshwarcrimes.blogspot.ca/
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