Global InformationGhulam Azam information
Ghulam Azam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 7 November 1922 Dacca,[1] Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 23 October 2014 (aged 91) Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Resting place | Moghbazar, Dhaka[2] |
| Nationality | British Indian (1922–1947) Pakistani (1947–1994) |
| Alma mater | Dhaka University |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh |
| Known for | Genocide of Bangladesh Liberation War, War crimes, Islamist Politics |
| Political party | Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Spouse | Afifa Azam |
| Children | 6, including Brig. Gen. Azmi |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy and incitement in committing genocide in 1971 Liberation war of Bangladesh |
| Criminal penalty | 90 years imprisonment |
| Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami East Pakistan (1960-1971) | |
| In office 1960–2000 | |
| Preceded by | Abdur Rahim |
| Succeeded by | Motiur Rahman Nizami |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Jamaat-e-Islami |
Ghulam Azam (Bengali: গোলাম আযম; Urdu: غلام اعظم; 7 November 1922 – 23 October 2014) was a Bangladeshi Islamist politician. He was the former leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh.
Azam was arrested by the government of Bangladesh on 11 January 2012 after he was found guilty in war crimes charges during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
A member of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, during the war he unsuccessfully opposed the breakup of Pakistan.[3][4] He subsequently led the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh until 2000.[5][6][7][8][9]
On 15 July 2013, a Bangladeshi special tribunal, the International Crimes Tribunal found him guilty of war crimes such as conspiring, planning, incitement to and complicity in committing genocide and was sentenced to 90 years in jail.[7][8] The tribunal stated that Azam deserved capital punishment for his activity during Liberation war of Bangladesh, but was given a lenient punishment of imprisonment because of his age and poor health condition.[5][6][10] The trial was criticized by several international observers, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Human Rights Watch, which was initially supportive of a trial subsequently criticized "strong judicial bias towards the prosecution and grave violations of due process rights", calling the trial process deeply flawed and unable to meet international fair trial standards.[11][12][13][14] Notably, it was at the center of the 2012 ICT Skype controversy.[15]
As a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, he led the formation of the Shanti Committees that were formed at the time of the Liberation War alongside other pro-Pakistan Bengali leaders.[16] Azam was accused of forming paramilitary groups for the Pakistani Army, including Razakars, and Al-Badr.[17] These militias opposed the Mukti Bahini members who fought for the independence of Bangladesh, and also stand accused of war crimes.[16][18][19][20] Azam's citizenship was cancelled by the Bangladeshi Government because of playing an opposition role during the Bangladesh liberation war.[21]
He lived informally in Bangladesh from 1978 to 1994 without any authorised Bangladeshi visa. His citizenship was then reinstated by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.[22][23][24]
Azam was arrested on 11 January 2012 by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh on the charges of committing war crimes during the Bangladesh liberation war.[25][26] The tribunal rejected the plea of bail after noting that there were formal charges against Azam of which it had taken cognisance.[27]
He was 91 when he died of a stroke on 23 October 2014 at BSMMU.[28]
Thousands of people attended his funeral prayers that were televised and held at the National Mosque of Bangladesh Baitul Mukarram.[29]
- ^ Esposito, John L., ed. (2004). "Ghulam Azam". The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-19-512559-7.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
buriedwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Uddin, Sufia M. (2006). Constructing Bangladesh: Religion, Ethnicity, And Language in an Islamic Nation. University of North Carolina. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-8078-3021-5.
- ^ Evans, H. (2001). "Bangladesh: An Unsteady Democracy". In Shastri, A.; Wilson, A. (eds.). The Post-colonial States of South Asia: Democracy, Development and Identity. Palgrave. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-312-23852-0.
- ^ a b Islam, Udisa (15 July 2013). "Ghulam Azam spared death". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^ a b Manik, Julfikar Ali; Khan, Mahbubur Rahman (16 July 2013). "Ghulam Azam Deserves death, gets 90 years". The Daily Star. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Azam found guilty of Bangladesh war crimes". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh: Islamist leader found guilty of war crimes". Euronews. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Prof. Ghulam Azam Retires". Islamic Voice. Archived from the original on 6 March 2001.
- ^ Ahmed, Tanim (15 July 2013). "Prosecution Blamed for Delay". Bdnews24.com. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Bangladesh: Azam Conviction Based on Flawed Proceedings". Human Rights Watch. 16 August 2013.
- ^ "Bangladesh: Azam Trial Concerns". Human Rights Watch. 16 August 2013.
- ^ "Bangladesh: Resist pressure to push for death sentences at war crimes tribunal". Amnesty International. 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Bangladesh: Resist pressure to push for hasty death sentences at war crimes Tribunal" (PDF). Amnesty International. 22 February 2013.
- ^ Sabir, Mustafa (21 January 2013). "Bangladesh's watershed war crimes moment". BBC News.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
dailypakistan_april_11_1971was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Wall Street Journalwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ ভারতীয় চক্রান্ত বরদাস্ত করব না [We will never tolerate Indian conspiracy]. The Daily Sangram (in Bengali). 13 April 1971.
- ^ Rubin, Barry A. (2010). Guide to Islamist Movements. M.E. Sharpe. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-7656-4138-0.
- ^ Fair, C. Christine (2010). Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State?. Rand Corporation. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0-8330-4807-3.
- ^ Ahsan, Syed Aziz-al (October 1990). Islamization of the State in a Dualistic Culture: The Case of Bangladesh (PhD). McGill University, Dept of Political Science.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
alo people's courtwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
tajwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Hossainwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Manik, Julfikar Ali; Sarkar, Ashutosh (12 January 2012). "Ghulam Azam lands in jail". The Daily Star.
- ^ Sarkar, Ashutosh; Laskar, Rizanuzzaman (13 December 2011). "Ghulam faces 52 charges". The Daily Star.
- ^ "ICT further denies bail to Ghulam Azam". UNB. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012.
- ^ "Ghulam Azam dies". Bdnews24.com. October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ "Thousands attend funeral for former Bangladesh Islamist leader". Reuters. October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.