Abdur Razzaq (lawyer, 1949–2025)

For other people with the same name, see Abdur Razzaq (disambiguation).

Abdur Razzaq (1949 – 4 May 2025) was a Bangladeshi barrister and Assistant Secretary General of the political party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.^[1] He was the chief defence counsel at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal until the end of 2013, when he left Dhaka for London.^[2] There he practised at the English Bar.^[3]

Abdur Razzaq
আব্দুর রাজ্জাক
Born	1949 (1949) Beanibazar, Sylhet District, East Bengal, Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Died	4 May 2025 (aged 75) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality	Bangladeshi, British
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, politician
Known for	Chief defence counsel at ICT

Background

Abdur Razzaq was born in 1949 in Shekhlal village of Beanibazar Upazila, Sylhet District in the then East Bengal. He earned his Barrister-at-Law degree from Lincoln's Inn in London. He then returned to Bangladesh in 1986 and started his legal profession.^[4]

Career

International Crimes Tribunal

Razzaq was the chief defence counsel at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, where Jamaat leaders, in particular, were indicted.^[1] Among those defended by Razzaq were former leader Ghulam Azam, leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, and Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Mollah.^{[5][6][7][8][9]} Razzaq allegedly was harassed in various ways by government officials to make it difficult for him to perform his professional duties.^[2][10][11] Human Rights Watch called for him to be allowed to conduct a full and fair defence without hindrance.^[12][13]

Resignation from BJI

Razzaq resigned from his position as Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General in an e-mail sent from London on 15 February 2019. In his resignation message, he said that for two decades he had tried to convince Jamaat that there should be open discussion on the role of the party in the 1971 war, and that the party should apologize for its role at that time. He also stated that he had unsuccessfully advocated for structural reforms, as well as full and effective participation of women, among other measures, in order to bring the party in line with successful and modern models used in other Muslim-majority nations. Aside from within Jamaat itself, his resignation also sparked widespread discussion in Bangladesh politics. Following him, some leaders resigned from the party as well. Since then, these former leaders have come together to form an independent party called the Amar Bangladesh Party where he was appointed Chief Adviser to the party. Later he left the Amar Bangladesh Party. ^[14][15]

Illness and death

Razzaq was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020. In late 2024, he returned to Bangladesh from the UK, where had been living since 2013. He died while undergoing medical treatment at Ibn Sina Hospital in Dhaka, on 4 May 2025, at the age of 75.^[16][17][18] The Bangladesh Supreme Court remained closed for half a day in his memory, as Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed expressed deep shock to family members at his death. Funeral prayers for the eminent lawyer were held at the Supreme Court’s Inner Garden premises.^[19]