Family members of the martyred intellectuals hailed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her courageous, uncompromising and bold step in holding war crimes trial and execution of death sentences against war criminals Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
In immediate reactions after hanging Mojaheed and Salahuddin for their crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation, family members of martyred intellectuals, journalist Sirajuddin Hossain, Dr. Alim Choudhury, and musician Altaf Mahmud, hailed the premier for holding trail of the war criminals ignoring threats on her life. They were among the intellectuals, who had been killed by the Pakistan Army with the help of their collaborators, on the eve of the independence of Bangladesh, aimed at making thecountry intellectually bankrupt. Hailing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for holding trial of war criminals and execution of death sentences of Mojaheed and Salahuddin, Zahid Reza Noor, son of martyred journalist Siraj Uddin Hossain, told BSS, “The trial of the war criminals and execution of their death sentences are now being carried out only for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s uncompromising stance.”
“The trial of the war criminals would not have been held if she (Sheikh Hasina) was not in power as the governments of Khaleda Zia, her husband Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad tried to turn Bangladesh into a mini-Pakistan during their regime,” he opined.
“Sheikh Hasina is holding the trial of war criminals not for achieving political gains but for putting the history on its right track,” he said. “Salauddin and Mojaheed deserved only the capital punishment as they had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation by killing people, raping women, ethnic cleansing and other crimes,” he also said. “We will not get back what we lost. But we are getting justice after waiting for 44 years. Execution of Salauddin and Mojaheed’s death sentences will act as an instance that none whatever powerful he might be will have to face trial for crimes they committed,” he added.
Dr. Nuzhat Alim Choudhury, daughter of the slain Dr. Alim Choudhury said, “We hailed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for taking courageous stand to hold trial of the war criminals and execute their death sentences after ignoring the threats on her life.” “It is only Sheikh Hasina for whose courageous role, the trial against war criminals is now being held,” she continued.
“My mother must be happy if she could see the execution of death sentences of Mojaheed and Salahuddin. Now, the soul of my mother will find peace after the executions,” he said with an emotion chocked voice.
Expressing satisfaction and joy over execution of Mojaheed’s death sentence Altaf Mahmud’s daughter Shawan Mahmud said, “Execution of Mojaheed and Salahuddin’s death sentences and their petitions seeking presidential mercy after admitting their guilt are great achievements for the nation as well as a significant development.”
“They themselves admitted their crimes committed during the War of Liberation in 1971 with filing mercy petition to the president,” she also said. She also hailed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her uncompromising stance to hold the trial of war criminals despite threats on her life.
