Chittagong Bureau :
The people of Chittagong especially freedom fighters, members of martyred families and prosecution witnesses on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over confirming the death sentence awarded to BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jammat Secretary General Ali Ahasan Mohammad Mojaheed for their crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.
The victims in the torture cell of the Pakistani collaborators including SQ Chowdhury and Mojaheed could not help but shed tears hearing the verdict when 4-member full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha pronounced its final verdict rejecting their review petition that has confirmed the death penalty of the International Crimes Tribunal(ICT)-1 and ICT-2 respectively.
Elderly businessman Mohammad Salim Ullah, who was brutally tortured by SQ Chowdhury at his torture cell – Goods Hill, during 1971, could not help but crying out of immense contentment over the verdict. With tears rolling out, Salim Ullah said the departed souls of the victims of torture would rest in peace hearing the verdict.
“I have been crying for last 43 years but there are differences between the tears of the past and that of today”, he said adding “I have been waiting for this day for 43 years bearing the pain and sufferings of torture”. He commented at last the truth won.
Another witness Sheikh Mohammad Jahangir whose father and brother were kidnapped and killed by Pakistani occupation forces also hailed the judgment saying it has cleansed the guilt of 1971.
Supreme Court rejecting the review petition in the final verdict has confirmed the death penalty of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that found SQ Chowdhury guilty of killing Jahangir’s father and brother and awarded him death penalty on charge of killing.
Thanking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for initiating trial of the killers of 1971, Jahangir said he had been waiting for the verdict for 43 years and the verdict would rest the souls of his father and brother in peace.”I am pleased with the judgment but cannot be relieved until the execution of the verdict”, he added.
Expressing satisfaction for confirming the verdict by the appellate division another witness Kazi Nurul Absar urged the government to confiscate the wealth and resources including the then torture cell ‘Goods Hill’ and make it Muktijoduddah Museum. Prafullah Ranjan Singha, whose father a philanthropist and founder of herbal medicine Kundeswahari, Principal Natun Chandra Singha was brutally killed by the Pakistani collaborators during 1971 also expressed satisfaction over upholding the verdict of crime tribunal by the Supreme Court.
He said he along with the people of the country was waiting for this verdict. “I am satisfied over the verdict and my satisfaction will be fulfilled through execution of the verdict”, he added.
Meanwhile, activists of different political parties and cultural organizations today brought out jubilant processions over confirming the death sentence of SQ Chowdhury. Soon after the four-member appeals bench of Supreme Court delivered the final verdict confirming the verdict of ICT-1 and ICT 2 , hundreds of people brought out processions and distributed sweets in different parts of the city and the district.
Welcoming the verdict, Gonojagoron Mancha in Chittagong also brought out procession from the Chittagong Press Club premises which was terminated at Chittagong Central Shaheed Minar after parading through city streets. Paying tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War, the Gonojagoron Mancha activists placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar and held a rally there. Addressing the rally they said the rule of law has been established in the country trough the verdict.
The people of Chittagong especially freedom fighters, members of martyred families and prosecution witnesses on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over confirming the death sentence awarded to BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jammat Secretary General Ali Ahasan Mohammad Mojaheed for their crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.
The victims in the torture cell of the Pakistani collaborators including SQ Chowdhury and Mojaheed could not help but shed tears hearing the verdict when 4-member full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha pronounced its final verdict rejecting their review petition that has confirmed the death penalty of the International Crimes Tribunal(ICT)-1 and ICT-2 respectively.
Elderly businessman Mohammad Salim Ullah, who was brutally tortured by SQ Chowdhury at his torture cell – Goods Hill, during 1971, could not help but crying out of immense contentment over the verdict. With tears rolling out, Salim Ullah said the departed souls of the victims of torture would rest in peace hearing the verdict.
“I have been crying for last 43 years but there are differences between the tears of the past and that of today”, he said adding “I have been waiting for this day for 43 years bearing the pain and sufferings of torture”. He commented at last the truth won.
Another witness Sheikh Mohammad Jahangir whose father and brother were kidnapped and killed by Pakistani occupation forces also hailed the judgment saying it has cleansed the guilt of 1971.
Supreme Court rejecting the review petition in the final verdict has confirmed the death penalty of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that found SQ Chowdhury guilty of killing Jahangir’s father and brother and awarded him death penalty on charge of killing.
Thanking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for initiating trial of the killers of 1971, Jahangir said he had been waiting for the verdict for 43 years and the verdict would rest the souls of his father and brother in peace.”I am pleased with the judgment but cannot be relieved until the execution of the verdict”, he added.
Expressing satisfaction for confirming the verdict by the appellate division another witness Kazi Nurul Absar urged the government to confiscate the wealth and resources including the then torture cell ‘Goods Hill’ and make it Muktijoduddah Museum. Prafullah Ranjan Singha, whose father a philanthropist and founder of herbal medicine Kundeswahari, Principal Natun Chandra Singha was brutally killed by the Pakistani collaborators during 1971 also expressed satisfaction over upholding the verdict of crime tribunal by the Supreme Court.
He said he along with the people of the country was waiting for this verdict. “I am satisfied over the verdict and my satisfaction will be fulfilled through execution of the verdict”, he added.
Meanwhile, activists of different political parties and cultural organizations today brought out jubilant processions over confirming the death sentence of SQ Chowdhury. Soon after the four-member appeals bench of Supreme Court delivered the final verdict confirming the verdict of ICT-1 and ICT 2 , hundreds of people brought out processions and distributed sweets in different parts of the city and the district.
Welcoming the verdict, Gonojagoron Mancha in Chittagong also brought out procession from the Chittagong Press Club premises which was terminated at Chittagong Central Shaheed Minar after parading through city streets. Paying tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War, the Gonojagoron Mancha activists placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar and held a rally there. Addressing the rally they said the rule of law has been established in the country trough the verdict.
