The government, the ruling Awami League and a cross-section of people on Tuesday welcomed the International Crimes Tribunal 1 verdict that sentenced Salauddin Quader Chowdhury death sentence for crimes he had committed in the 1971 war of independence.
The information minister, Hasanul Haq Inu, and the state minister for law, Quamrul Islam, said that the verdict against the BNP’s standing committee member Salauddin reflected people’s expectations and proved that nobody was above law.
‘The rule of law has been established. It has been proved that killers are punished. This rule is a very important verdict and it will help us to come out of the culture of impunity,’ Inu said at an impromptu briefing in his office.
Inu, also a left-leaning leader, called on the leader of the opposition in the parliament, Khaleda Zia, to expel Salauddin from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on being convicted of war crimes charges.
The tribunal on Tuesday handed BNP lawmaker Salauddin the death sentence for committing crimes against humanity in the 1971 war of independence.
Quamrul Islam said, ‘We are satisfied about the verdict. This is the seventh verdict in war crimes cases and two more are in the process.’ The minister made the comment in his office after newsmen had sought his opinions on the verdict.
As for allegation about the verdict being leaked out on the social networking sites before the tribunal delivered it, Inu and Quamrul separately said that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission had already launched an investigation in this regard.
Actions would be taken on completion of the investigation, Quamrul said.
Ruling Awami League leaders observed that the rule of law had been established with this verdict.
‘We are happy about the verdict. People’s expectations have been fulfilled,’ AL presidium member Nooh-ul Alam Lenin said.
The party’s joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the verdict had reflected people’s expectations. He criticised the opposition BNP for siding with war criminals and said hat the latest verdict had established again that the BNP was a party of war criminals.
Hanif also claimed the BNP had sheltered many war criminals sucha s Salauddin for mere political gains.
The Sector Commanders Forum vice-chairman, Abu Osman Chowdhury, said that the death sentence must be executed at the earliest following all legal procedures.
Freedom fighter Shahidul Haque Mama said that the Awami League should be voted to power once again for the execution of the verdict. ‘The incumbent government has many faults but I think people should vote it again to power for the execution of all war crimes trial verdicts,’ he added.
Researcher on liberation war Muntassir Mamoon termed the verdict another triumph in the movement against war criminals.
Writer Shahriyar Kabir welcomed the verdict but expressed concern about its implementation saying that the convicts might escape punishment if forces who acted against the independence in 1971 assumed office again.
-With New Age input
