Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Quader Molla executed

War crimes convict Abdul Quader Molla, also an assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, was hanged Thursday night at Dhaka Central Jail amid heightened security.
The jail authorities executed Quader, convicted of committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, after the government ordered it to execute his death warrant without applying the jail code. Sheikh Yusuf Harun, deputy ommissioner of Dhaka confirmed the execution.
Molla was executed around 10:00pm after the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in a full-court hearing turned down a petition which had sought review of the court’s earlier judgment sentencing Quader Molla to death for an offence involving the killing of six members of a family at the outset of the country’s independence war.
In a packed courtroom amid tight security, a five-member Appellate Division bench comprising the same judges who had originally imposed the death sentence, rejected Quader’s petition without giving any reasons.
Supreme Court registrar AKM Shamsul Islam told New Age that he had notified the respective government authorities, including the inspector general of prisons, about the Appellate Division’s rejection of the two review petitions, and it was later reported that the order had been sent to Dhaka Central Jail.
Attorney general Mahbubey Alam had told reporters around noon that the Appellate Division’s decision had cleared the way for Quader’s execution and that there could be no more legal intervention. He said that Quader might rethink whether he wanted to seek presidential mercy which he had refused when the jail authorities had twice asked him if he would do so.
Quader’s chief counsel Abdur Razzaq said he was aggrieved and thought that Molla was denied justice.
He said that Quader Molla should not be executed until the Appellate Division released the full text of its order as the apex court had dismissed his applications in just a few words.
On Wednesday, the Appellate Division bench, headed by the chief justice, Md Muzammel Hossain, had heard arguments from the Attorney General on why the applications filed under article 105 of the constitution should not be heard by the court – with Razzak strenuously arguing that the court had the power to do so.
At the beginning of the hearing on Thursday, the court told Razzaq that he should continue as though there was no dispute on the maintainability of the review petition, and should argue on the merits of the application.
Turning to the substantive arguments in favour of the defence application, Razzaq argued that there was ‘error apparent on the face of the record’ in the way in which the Appellate Division had failed to take into account contradictory statements made by Momena Begum – the sole witness in the charge for which Molla was sentenced to death.
He argued that the rules of the International Crimes Tribunal had allowed the defence to question a witness on issues of credibility, and this included inconsistencies between evidence a witness had given in court and a statement which the same person had given to an investigation officer or to another person.
Although Momena had told the tribunal that Molla was present at the time of the murder of her family, she had not mentioned this in her statement to the investigation officer and instead named another person.
She had also given another statement to a researcher based at a 1971 museum in which she said that she was not even present at the time of the murder of her family.
The court had said in its judgment that the defence could only cross-examine a witness in relation to evidence which that person
had given in her examination in chief – and not in relation to statements that they had previously given.
Razzaq also argued that Bangladesh law required that a court could only increase the sentence if it was ‘manifestly inadequate and unusually lenient’. He, however, argued that the judgment had failed to show how the sentence of life imprisonment – where ‘life meant life’ – given by the International Crimes Tribunal was so inadequate.
‘There is no finding in the judgment that the sentence was manifestly inadequate,’ he said.
At one point in the argument, the chief defence lawyer wanted to refer to the judgment of the dissenting judge, but Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah said, ‘Please do not refer me. It is a great embarrassment for me. I felt embarrassed.’
Outside of the review application, Razzaq also argued that to ‘ensure complete justice’ when deciding what orders it gave the Appellate Division should take into consideration the illegality of the warrant of execution and the application of the jail code.
In relation to the jail code, he argued that it applied to Molla and that, assuming the court were to reject the review application, he should be given 15 days to decide whether or not to seek a pardon from the president.
He said that the ICT Act stated that the sentence should ‘be carried out in accordance with the orders of the government’ and this referred to the jail code.
Razzaq also argued that the execution warrant sent to Dhaka Central Jail was ‘defective’ as it should not have been signed by the International Crimes Tribunal but by the Appellate Division which had handed down the death sentence.
On this point Justice SK Sinha said, ‘We asked the ICT to do so.’
Attorny general Mahbubey Alam gave only a short reply to the arguments, stating that it was clear that the tribunal rules only allowed limited cross-examination of a witness by the defence.
He also argued that a written statement of the investigation officer was not an ‘evidence’ as defined in the ICT rules.
The Appellate Division on September 17 sentenced Quader Molla to death on a government appeal following a judgment given by the International Crimes Tribunal on February 5 that had sentenced him to life in prison.
The five-member Appellate Division bench delivered a majority verdict of four judges to one.
The tribunal issued the death warrant after the full text of the appeal verdict had reached the tribunal from the Supreme Court on Sunday. The Supreme Court had released the full text on December 5.
The appeals court sentenced Quader to death for killing six members of the family of Momena Begum at Mirpur in Dhaka on March 26, 1971, the offence for which he had earlier been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Quader Molla along with his cohorts is said to have surrounded the house of Momena’s father Hazarat Ali Laskar, killed her parents, her minor brother and three younger sisters and raped one of them.
The tribunal verdict that was delivered on February 5 triggered a youth uprising at Shahbagh Square in Dhaka that spread across the country, with thousands demanding that he should be hanged for his crimes.
Amid such protests, the government on February 18 amended the law to allow the state to appeal against inadequacy of a tribunal sentence.
The tribunal had acquitted Quader Molla of one count, sentenced him to life in prison on two counts and to varying terms of imprisonment on three other counts.
The appeals court sentenced him to death on one of the counts for which he had earlier been jailed for life.
The chief war crimes prosecutor, Golam Arief Tipoo, on March 3 filed an appeal against the ‘inadequacy of the sentence’ of Quader on five charges and against his acquittal of the other charge.
Quader filed his appeal petition the next day seeking to be acquitted of all the charges.
On Tuesday, the government had ordered the jail authorities to execute Quader one minute past midnight.
However, at 10:20 that night, the Appellate Division chamber judge Syed Mahmud Hossain, stayed the execution until the next morning in response to a legal intervention by Molla’s defence lawyers.
A total of 23 family members met Quader after the government had decided to execute him one minute after midnight past Tuesday. Later the jail authorities suspended Quader’s execution following the Appellate Division order.
Of the petitions, one was filed for overturning the death sentence and other over legality of its judgment that had handed him death sentence reversing the tribunal’s February 5 verdict awarding him life term.

Courtesy of New Age

Related News

Police clearance no longer required for passports

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that police verification will no longer be necessary for obtaining a passport, thereby reducing unnecessary hassle for citizens. “Getting a passport is a basic right. We have established a rule that eliminates the need for police verification,” he stated. While speaking at the opening session ... Read more

Metro rail achieves record 4 lakh daily passengers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Metro Rail has achieved a remarkable milestone by carrying over 400,000 passengers in a single day. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the Metro Rail, announced this achievement on their official Facebook page on Friday night. For the first time, Metro Rail recorded 403,164 passengers. The Metro Rail ... Read more

Most people, about 66% think civil servants behave as if they are rulers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com More than 100,000 participants have contributed their responses to reform commission’s online survey 80% of the respondents believe that the administration is not approachable for the general public, according to a survey conducted by the Public Administration Reform Commission. Additionally, 66% of participants feel that civil servants act as if they ... Read more

Former Justice Abdur Rouf dies

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Md Abdur Rouf has passed away at the age of 91. He died around 10:00 am while receiving treatment at Insaf Barakah Kidney and General Hospital in Dhaka, as stated in a press release. Justice Rouf had been battling heart disease, lung complications, kidney issues, and ... Read more

Bangladesh climbed 4 positions to rank 93rd in global passport index

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh has climbed four notches up in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, ranking 93rd out of 99. However, the number of visa-free destinations for Bangladeshi passport holders has dropped from 42 in 2024 to 39 this year, reflecting a decline in global travel privileges. Despite this improvement in rank — ... Read more

BBS Findings show Madaripur most poverty-stricken district, Noakhali least

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Madaripur has the highest poverty rate in the country, with 54.4% of its population living below the upper poverty line. The district’s upazilas are also significantly affected by poverty, with Dasar upazila reporting a poverty rate of 63.2%, as per a survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). BBS ... Read more

Ekushey Padak: Women’s football team and 14 distinguished individuals set to receive award

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has put forward 14 distinguished individuals and the national women’s football team for the Ekushey Padak in 2025, honoring their remarkable contributions in their respective fields. The cultural affairs ministry announced this on Thursday. The nominees include Azizur Rahman (posthumously) for film, Ustad Nirad Baran Barua (posthumously) and Ferdous ... Read more

New counter-based bus services launch in Dhaka this Thursday

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A new bus service featuring ticket counters is set to launch in Dhaka on Thursday, February 6, with the goal of improving public transport, alleviating traffic congestion, and enhancing passenger safety. The service will officially kick off from Abdullahpur at 10:30 am. This initiative, led by the Dhaka Road Transport Owners ... Read more

Fog disrupts flight operations at Dhaka airport

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Six international flights were diverted to Sylhet and Kolkata airports today due to dense fog at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). Of the six flights, Jazeera Airways was arriving from Kuwait, Salam Air from Muscat, two US-Bangla Airlines from Dubai, Qatar Airways from Doha, and a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from ... Read more

St Martins under travel restrictions for 9 months

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A nine-month restriction on tourist movements to St Martin’s Island, the only coral island in Bangladesh, will take effect on Saturday, February 1. Tourists can visit the island until Friday, January 31, as per a decision made by the environment, forest, and climate change ministry. Residents and tourism operators on the ... Read more

Seven Colleges Split from DU

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The administration of Dhaka University on Monday decided to separate the seven government colleges from their affiliation with the university. This decision was made during an emergency meeting between the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and the principals of the affiliated government colleges on Monday in the vice-chancellor’s meeting room. Following the ... Read more

New trains launch on Ctg-Cox’s Bazar route February 1

News Desk : dhakamirror.com On 1 February, the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route will witness the launch of two new intercity trains, the Saikat Express and the Prabal Express. The announcement followed a directive from Bangladesh Railways, which called for the allocation of essential resources such as locomotives, coaches, and personnel. Both trains will feature a combined ... Read more

Uniform revamp for police, RAB, Ansar

News Desk : dhakamirror.com On Monday, the government announced the introduction of new uniforms for the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party. The police will don iron-colored uniforms, while the RAB will wear green olive, and the Ansar will sport golden wheat, as stated by home adviser ... Read more

SC acquits Khaleda, Tarique, others, labeling the case as an act of malicious prosecution

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son and the party acting chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others in the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Orphanage Trust case, overturning the High Court’s decision that upheld their convictions. The court also declared the proceedings ... Read more

Bangladesh named The Economist’s country of the year

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Economist, an influential British weekly magazine, has named Bangladesh the ‘Country of the Year’ for 2024, recognising the nation’s incredible political and social transformation. ‘The winner toppled a tyrant and seems headed for something better,’ the magazine said in its report published on Thursday. It said that the recognition was ... Read more

HC declares key provisions of 15th amendment partially unconstitutional

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The High Court on Tuesday declared several provisions of the Constitution, introduced through the contentious 15th amendment, partially unconstitutional, reinforcing the foundational principles of democracy, judicial independence, and the Constitution’s basic structure. The bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury delivered the verdict, addressing amendments that abolished the ... Read more

BIDS study shows 28.24% of graduates from National University unemployed

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A recent study conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies reveals that 28.24% of graduates from colleges affiliated with the National University remain unemployed. Moreover, a majority of the ones who secure employment are primarily engaged in low-paying jobs, the study further revealed. The study titled, “Understanding unemployment among college ... Read more

Begum Rokeya Day observed with call for women’s equality

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Begum Rokeya Day was observed on Monday across the country with a call for ensuring equality of women in every sector. The country marks December 9 as Begum Rokeya Day commemorating birth and death anniversaries of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain on the same day. Begum Rokeya, considered as a pioneer of ... Read more

Saudi mega projects push demand for Bangladeshi workers as other markets shrink

Kamran Siddiqui Saudi Arabia hired 83,733 Bangladeshi workers last month, marking the highest number of overseas employment in a single country in 35 months, driven by ongoing mega projects which indicate a further boost in demand for Bangladeshi labour. While overseas employment in Saudi Arabia is surging, the demand for Bangladeshi workers in other labour ... Read more

Bangladesh’s civic space broadened: report

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Civic space condition improved in Bangladesh due to steps taken by the interim government, said the People Power Under Attack 2024 report. The CIVICUS Monitor, a research consortium led by global civil society alliance CIVICUS that track civic space, unveiled the new report on Wednesday, said a press release. Bangladesh stayed ... Read more