Convicted war crimes Jamaat leader dies in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh Jammat-e-Islami senior leader Abdus Subhan, who was convicted on war criminal charges and has been in jail since 2012, died in a hospital Friday.

The former lawmaker was taken to Dhaka Medical Hospital (DMCH) from the country’s central jail Jan. 24.

“The Jamaat-e-Islami leader was undergoing treatment at the hospital with old age complications and died today. His body is kept at the morgue for autopsy and the process is underway to hand over the dead body to his family,” DMCH Police Outpost in-charge Inspector Bachchu Mia told Anadolu Agency.

The party and its student wing expressed sorry in a news release that said Nayeb-e-Ameer, or the senior leader, of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former five-time lawmaker died deprived of proper treatment in jail and cases brought against him were politically motivated, made as per the “government will.”

The country’s law enforcement agency arrested the Jamaat leader in September 2012 on war crimes charges and has since held him in jail.

The local International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) gave Subhan the death penalty in February 2015 for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the country’s liberation war with Pakistan in 1971.

The ICT is accused of being used against political opponents under the pretext of punishing war criminals.

Following the formation of the court, international human rights group, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, voiced deep concern for the “unfair trial” process.