Supreme Court upholds death sentence of Jamaat leader Azahar



Special Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
ATM Azaharul Islam

ATM Azaharul Islam

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Appellate division upholds the death sentence of ATM Azaharul Islam, a Jamat –i- Islami leader, for his crimes against the humanity and war crimes during the Liberation War of the country in 1971. The apex court delivered the verdict by allowing an appeal in part filed by Azhar challenging the International Crimes Tribunal’s -1(ICT-1) verdict that sentenced him to death.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain came up with the verdict by majority view. The other members of apex court were Justice Hassan Faez Siddiky, Justice Jinatara and Justice Md. Nuruzzaman.

Now, the convicted Jamaat leader can file a petition with the Supreme Court seeking review of the judgment. The review petition will have to be filed in 15 days after the convict would receive the certified copy of the judgment. If the SC rejects the review petition, ATM Azhar can seek president’s clemency. If the president does not grant the mercy petition, then the verdict of the death sentence will be executed.

On December 30, 2014, ICT-1 sentenced Azhar, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat, with death penalty for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

The ICT-1 consisted Justice Enayetur Rahim, Justice Anowarul Islam and Justice Zahangir Hossain.

Azhar later filed the appeal with the Supreme Court challenging the verdict where he claimed innocence and prayed to the Appellate Division to acquit him of the charges.

Azhar, hailed from Badorganj in Rangpur, became president of Islami Chhatra Sangha, Jamaat’s then student wing, Rangpur district unit in 1971. As the war broke out, he formed pro-Pakistani death squad Al-Badr Bahini in the district.

As Bangladesh got liberated on December 16, 1971, he like many others of his party went into hiding, only to be surfaced after the brutal killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.

Azhar joined Jamaat-e-Islami and managed to climb its ranks swiftly from 1982 to 1990. He was the president of Jamaat’s Dhaka city unit from 1991-2002. Azhar became the central assistant secretary general of Jamaat and later was even in charge of general secretary of the extreme right wing party.

He was arrested on August 23, 2012, as the first tribunal issued arrest warrant against him. The prosecution submitted formal charge against him on July 18, 2013. The first tribunal July 25, 2013, took the charges pressed against Azhar into cognizance.

The ICT-1 on November 12, 2013, framed six charges of crimes against humanity against ATM Azharul Islam. During the trial proceedings, the prosecution produced 19 witnesses including the investigation officer, while the defence produced one.

Azahar filed appeal on January 28 of 2015. The hearing of his appeal began on last June 18. The hearing began with the paper book prepared by the defence lawyer Zainul Abedin. The hearing ended on last July 10.

   

Dhaka is the sixth most polluted city in the world, Seoul is on top



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Today, Dhaka is sixth in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of the capital has become 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 172 at 6:50 am today.

South Korea's capital Seoul topped the air quality index with 343. South Korea's Incheon, Pakistan's Lahore, Vietnam's Chiang Mai and India's Delhi occupy the second, third, fourth and fifth places in the list with AQI scores of 217, 187, 179 and 177 respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. And an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 parameters of pollution, namely - Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.

In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that the three main causes of Dhaka's air pollution are brick kilns, smoke from vehicles and dust from construction activities.

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Taka 400 crores laundered through digital Hundi, controlled by Dubai



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 5 people for allegedly laundering around Tk. 400 crore abroad through Digital Hundi using Mobile Banking Service (MFS).

CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia informed this in a press conference at CID headquarters on Thursday (March 28) afternoon.

The arrested are - Nasim Ahmed (62), the owner of Tasmia Associates, Fazle Rabbi Sumon (32), the territory sales manager of Agent SIM, Md. Kamruzzaman (33), Zahir Uddin (37), representative of Jet Robotics Apps Bangladesh and Khairul Islam alias Pius (34).

Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia said, a gang has smuggled around Tk. 400 crore abroad through digital Hundi using mobile banking services. Five members of this gang were arrested during the operation.

He said that Tk. 400 crores illegally came to Bangladesh through Jet Robotics app in the last few months. Police traced the app through intelligence.

He also said that the money of this gang was transacted from the Chattogram based distribution house. Five members of the gang were arrested in separate raids in Dhaka and Chattogram on Wednesday night.

He said that Tk. 28 lakh 51 thousand cash was seized from them at the time of arrest. He said that they used to rent development agent SIMS and deliver money through them to the grassroots level.

The head of CID said that Mamun, the master of this gang lives in Dubai. He is using agent SIM here. This app used for smuggling cannot work outside 48 SIM along the specific link sent from Dubai. Only seven people can enter this app.

Referring to this as a modern form of Hundi business, he said, money is being circulated in the country through this app by blocking remittances coming to Bangladesh. Already we got 5-7 more such organizations who are working like this.

He said, in the last three months, Tk. 400 crores have been hindered from coming to Bangladesh through Jet Robotic Apps. Five people using these apps have been arrested and their devices seized.

He said, Chattogram's development distribution house Tasmia Associates company has 1000 Bkash Agent SIMs. These agent SIMs who are not performing well, the agent SIMs provide DSOs to the users of Jet Robotic Apps.

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Demand for punishment for those responsible for electrocution death in Moulvibazar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Photo: barta24.com

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The death of 6 members of the same family due to electrocution in Moulvibazar is very shocking and heartbreaking. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed said that the main responsible person and institution should be brought under accountability.

He made this comment at a discussion on 'Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights and Consumer Rights' organized by 'Business Digest' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday (March 28).

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission said, after investigating the incident of Moulvibazar, appropriate legal action should be taken against those responsible and necessary measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We could not do anything for one family, but we have to do for hundreds of such families.

He also said that the issue of rights is directly and indirectly the daily practice of the media. Media can question all the irregularities; make people aware of their rights and duties and play an important role in establishing rights. We can carry out reformative activities only in view of the news published in the media.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed called on the media workers to take all-out efforts to spread the necessary knowledge about the constitution, law and rights among the people.

At one stage of the discussion, he said about the recurrence of fires, we have not learned proper lessons from the big fires and explosions in Nimatli, Newmarket and Bangabazar in the past years. Had we taken effective measures, recurrence of fires could have been prevented.

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Suggestion to introduce Human Rights Wing in the Foreign Ministry



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended setting up a new wing on human rights to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suggestion was made at the parliamentary committee meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Thursday (March 28). After the meeting, this information was informed in a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.

The meeting recommended taking necessary steps to recognize March 25 as International Genocide Day. A proposal was made in the meeting to visit the Rohingya camps Kutupalong and Bhasanchar with the members of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chairman of the committee AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting and members of the committee and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Shahriar Alam, Nahim Razzak, Nizam Uddin Jalil, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman, Saimum Sarwar, Zara Zabeen Mahbub took part in the meeting. #

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