Bangladesh Supreme Court confirms death for Mir Quasem

He had appealed his conviction for war crimes during the 1971 Independence war with Pakistan, which included killing and torturing freedom fighters. A war crimes tribunal set up in 2010 has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, that it is victimising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political opponents. 

Four opposition politicians, including three leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami, have been convicted by the tribunal and executed since late 2013. Mir Quasem, 63, is an executive committee member of the Jamaat, and he is believed to be the chief financier of the party. 

The party denies that its leaders committed any atrocities. About 3 million people were killed, according to official figures, and thousands of women raped, during the Independence war in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the breakaway from what was then called West Pakistan. 

Mir Quasem went into hiding after Pakistan occupation forces and their local collaborators surrendered on December 16, 1971, and re-appeared years later as a Jamaat-e-Islami leader. He was arrested on June 17, 2012 and convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death on November 2, 2014.