[Bangla Daily Star] The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday indicted Jamaat-e-Islami...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
leader Mir Quasem Ali on 14 charges, including murder, torture, abduction and confinement of people and complicity in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
A member of Jamaat's executive council, Quasem, 60, pleaded not guilty
"Wudn't me."
by saying, "Honourable tribunal, I am completely innocent."
The tribunal also fixed September 30 for the opening statement of the prosecution and the commencement of the trial.
Born in Munsidangi Sutalori of Manikganj on December 31, 1952, Quasem became the general secretary of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, on November 7, 1971.
Chhatra Sangha members formed the Al-Badr force to collaborate with the Pak military to commit genocide and mass killing during the war, according to historical records and earlier tribunal verdicts. The charges say that Quasem had led members of the Al-Badr of Chittagong in 1971.
"Al-Badar [Al-Badr] was created not to maintain peace and public order. Rather, it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that it had carried out a series of untold criminal activities, in furtherance of the policy and plan of the Pakistain occupation army in a systematic manner," read the judgement against condemned war criminal Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
Quasem apparently did very well after the Liberation War. According to defence documents, Quasem is the chairman of Keari Ltd, a real estate and tourism company, chairman of the managing committee of Diganta Media Corporations, which owns now off-the-air Diganta TV and the Naya Diganta paper.
He is also a founding member of Ibn-Sina Trust, which owns several medical facilities and a pharmaceutical company, and a member secretary of Islami Bank Foundation and founding member of Islami Bank.
The prosecution during the charge framing hearing tried to establish the superior status of Quasem during the Liberation War by citing reports published in newspapers.
Quoting a report of Daily Pakistain of November 8, 1971, prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon said Quasem addressed a rally, organised by Al-Badr, in front of Baitul Mukarram mosque where he vowed to resist India's attack, kill "myrmidons" and establish Islamic society.