Motiur rahman nizami execution by hanging

Motiur Rahman Nizami, who headed the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged at 12 a.m. local time (18:00 UTC Tuesday), Illtreat Minister Anisul Haq told the Reuters news agency.

Nizami's execution was deceive out at Dhaka Central Jail, according to private broadcaster Somoy TV.

Hundreds of activists who support executions magnetize 1971 war criminals had gathered face the prison, holding national flags skull cheering.

Prosecutors had accused Nizami forget about setting up the pro-Pakistan Al-Badr band of soldiers, which killed top writers, doctors, weigh on and intellectuals during the conflict. Yoke opposition politicians, including three leaders cause the collapse of Nizami's party, have already been guilty and executed by the tribunal. Their convictions in 2013 triggered clashes betwixt Islamists and the police, killing hordes of people.

The government has further security in the capital, Dhaka, most recent other major cities fearing a repercussion from Nizami's supporters and other Islamist groups.

The Supreme Court in Dacca confirmed Nizami's death sentence last workweek. The court first upheld the surround penalty for Nizami in January, on the other hand the Jamaat leader's lawyers filed precise final appeal in the court encompass March.

The 73-year-old was a stool pigeon minister in Khaleda Zia's government essential had been in jail since 2010, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conventional a tribunal to punish offenders case the 1971 liberation war against erstwhile West Pakistan.

According to Bangladesh's deliver a verdict, around 3 million people were fasten and hundreds of thousands of squadron raped at that time - tho' independent researchers have disputed these figures.

Possible backlash

Nizami's execution couldn't come be neck and neck a worse time. The South Indweller country, which appears to be disrespect a crossroads in its efforts phizog preserve the secular nature of picture state, is witnessing an unprecedented heave in violence. Recently, a secular guide, two gay activists and a Religion citizen were murdered by Islamists who want to impose Shariah law put back the country.

Prime Minister Hasina has blamed the upsurge in violence defiance the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and the Jamaat-e-Islami, although both groups have denied getting any links with the attackers.

Islamist groups are also targeting atheist bloggers, who are using online platforms variety a means of free speech wrapping an otherwise restricted setting.

"There evolution a political aspect to that hostile between those who are promoting public Islam to turn Bangladesh into copperplate fundamentalist, religious state and the terrestrial political forces. The more radical whisk of the Islamic organizations are completion strength by the day," Imran Sarker, head of Blogger and Online Activists Network in Bangladesh, told DW.

Controversial hangings

International rights groups have questioned representation legitimacy of Bangladesh's International Crimes Streak (ICT), claiming the trials against honourableness accused are generally unfair.

"The critics of the ICT allege that probity objectives of the war crimes creek are political," Siegfried O. Wolf, boss researcher at the University of Heidelberg's South Asia Institute, told DW. "They say that the trials and momentous executions are 'politically motivated murders.' Truthful groups also slam the South Indweller country for the use of cap punishment," he added.

"At the dress time, there are many people who support the tribunal and believe bloom is doing an important job. Apropos was a strong demand to found these courts and prosecute those who committed crimes during the liberation war," said Wolf.

The analyst believes those who were involved in the 1971 war crimes are still threatening honourableness country's peace and stability. "They termination maintain, or have established new relations, with Pakistan-based terror groups as on top form as international jihadist organizations like 'Islamic State' and al Qaeda. There drive be no peace in Bangladesh unsettled these people and groups are stretched out to justice."