The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday condemned Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami to death for crimes against humanity, including killing of intellectuals, during the 1971 Liberation War. With 71-year-old Nizami in the dock, tribunal Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim, flanked by two other members — Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque — pronounced the much-delayed verdict at 12:23 pm today in a crowded court room. Earlier, police brought Nizami to the court amid tight security. The 204-page judgment was read out by the tribunal judges in phases beginning at 11:12 am. The announcement of judgment was deferred thrice on different grounds since November 13 last year. The reconstitution of the tribunal, rehearing on summing-up arguments from both sides and sudden sickness of the accused in custody are among the reasons behind the delay. A former minister during the BNP-Jamaat alliance’s rule (2001-06), Nizami was indicted on May 28, 2012 with 16 counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, genocide, loot, rape, incitement, planning, abetment, and killing intellectuals during the Liberation War. Earlier, Nizami was condemned to death in January this year in the sensational 10-truck arms haul case in Chittagong in 2004. On December 11, 2011, the prosecution submitted the formal charge against Nizami before the tribunal. The tribunal took cognisance of the formal charge on January 9, 2012 against Nizami for facing the trial of crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War. On May 28, 2012, the tribunal indicted the Jamaat ameer for committing the 1971 crimes against humanity. Nizami was arrested in front of the National Press Club on June 29, 2010 after a magistrate court in Dhaka issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with a criminal case over hurting the religious sentiment of Muslims. Later, he was shown arrested in the war crimes case. — UNB, Dhaka
