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A. T. M. Azharul Islam
Bangladeshi politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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ATM Azharul Islam is a Bangladeshi politician from the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[1] He contested the 1996, 2001 and 2008 elections for the Rangpur-2 constituency in the Jatiya Sangsad but did not win.
He had served as the party's Secretary General until 2012, when he was arrested and charged with war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War by the country's International Crimes Tribunal. He was convicted by the ICT in 2014. His appeal was rejected by the Appellate Division of Supreme Court in 2019 but he was acquitted after a review by the Division in 2025.[2]
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Early life
Islam was born in Lohanipara village in Badarganj Upazila, Rangpur District.
Political career
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Islam contested the June 1996 Bangladeshi general election as a candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami from Rangpur-2.[3] He received 8,273, the third highest share while the winning candidate Hussain Muhammad Ershad of the Jatiya Party received 66,929 votes.[3]
Islam was the candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami for Rangpur-2 in the 2001 Bangladeshi general election.[3] He came third with 17,788 votes while the winning candidate, Mohammad Ali Sarkar of the Islami Jatiya Oikya Front, 91,921 votes.[3]
Islam contested elections from Rangpur-2 constituency (Badarganj and Taraganj) in the 2008 Bangladeshi general election.[4][5] He came second with 36,586 votes while the winning candidate, Anisul Islam Mondal of the Jatiya Party received 166,271 votes.[6]
In 2010, following the arrest of leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Azharul Islam stated:
We are observing the situation. The legal battle to free our leaders will continue along with a peaceful movement.[7]
Some leaders described the arrests as a moment of crisis for the party.[7]
In January 2011, He announced Jamaat-e-Islami was fielding 39 mayoral candidates who will contest elections against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[8] In February, as Acting Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islam announced a series of strikes protesting against policies of the Awami League-led regime.[9] In June 2011, Islam called a joint 3 hour strike with Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir protesting a recommendation by the parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment to remove the neutral caretaker government system.[10] He was one of the accused individuals in a sedition case filed over comments on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Home Minister by Rezaul Karim, former president of Islami Chhatra Shibir.[11] He protested against comments by Manmohan Singh, the then prime minister of India, who accused Jamaat-e-Islami of being anti-Indian and accused Jamaat of being a partner of ISI.[12] He was detained on 20 September 2011 after violent protests by Jamaat-e-Islami activists over not being allowed to hold a rally demanding the release of its leaders.[13] The protests left 200 people injured, 28 cars burned down, 200 cars were vandalized along with roadside shops, and traffic was disrupted throughout Dhaka.[13] The police filed a case against party activists, including Ameer Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, for assaulting police officers during the protest.[14]
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War crimes trial
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Islam is accused of being a commander of Al-Badr's Rangpur branch during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.[15] Al-Badr was a militia that collaborated with Pakistani forces during the Bangladesh genocide.[16]
On August 22, 2012, Islam was arrested in Maghbazar.[17] The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) filed five charges of crimes against humanity, including accusations of genocide, murder, and abduction.[18] He was serving as the assistant general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami.[19] His prosecutor at the trial was Nurjahan Begum Mukta.[20] His defence team was composed of senior counsel Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Shishir Manir, and Imran Siddique. He was accused of being involved in the Jharuarbeel massacre in which more than 1,200 Hindus were murdered, a pregnant woman was raped at Rangpur Town Hall and a Mukti Bahini member and his brother were tortured.[21][22][23] A women testified that he was involved in the rape of a pregnant woman for 19 days at Rangpur Town Hall during the war.[15][24][25]
In December 2014, he was convicted for war crimes and sentenced to death by the ICT for his involvement in war crimes during the Bangladesh War in 1971.[26][27] He was acquitted of the charges of murder of 10 people in Rangpur but was convicted of rape at the Rangpur Town Hall and torturing the Mukti Bahini member and his brother at an Al-Badr camp.[26] The three-member tribunal was led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim and included Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque.[26] His reaction after the verdict was, "... Allah will try you, Insha'Allah".[26] Jamaat-e-Islami called for a two-day strike (hartal) following the verdict.[26][28]
Islam's defense argued that the charges were politically motivated, but his appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in 2019.[29] The Appellate Division bench was led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain.[30] Islam's principal lawyer at the appeal was Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, a politician of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[30] Amnesty International raised concerns about the fairness of his trial, citing irregularities in the proceedings.[31]
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime, Jamaat-e-Islami's ameer, Shafiqur Rahman, demanded that for the release of Islam and for the restitution of the party's registration.[32][33] Jamaat staged protests in Gazipur District demanding his release.[34] On 27 May 2025, he was acquitted by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.[35][36][37] On 28 May 2025, he was released from jail.[38][39] The court reviewed and found that the evidence on which the verdict in his case was based was unrealistic and fabricated and accusations of rape and murder lacked reliable proof, he was released in May 2025 after being proven as innocent.[37]
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References
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