Several Bangladeshi expatriates have welcomed the stay of execution won by senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah following countrywide protests in their country.
Mollah was convicted in February of crimes against humanity during the country’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Mollah denies the charges. He would have been executed on Tuesday night.
Abdullah Noman, a Jamaat-e-Islami follower living in Riyadh, said the decision to execute Mollah was politically motivated. “He must be given a constitutional right to appeal against his sentence,” he said.
Mohammad Abu Nasir, a Bangladeshi worker, said: “The Jamaat leader must be given a free and fair trial.” He said the execution order caused the political unrest and several deaths in the country.
Haider Khan, a Bangladeshi community leader in Riyadh, said that the Bangladesh government had prepared to execute Mollah without completing all the necessary legal procedures, and labeled it “politically motivated.”
He said human rights groups had warned the Bangladesh government that it would be breaking international law by not giving Mollah an opportunity for a review.
Jahangir Salim, another Bangladeshi worker, said the postponement was well timed and appropriate to stop fresh unrest in the country. He said the demonstrations reflect the unpopularity of the decision.
Qari Amin-ur-Rahman, a Qur’an teacher in Jeddah, said: “By taking political revenge in the name of the liberation war four decades ago shows the regime is systematically eradicating its opponents. This is not good. I condemn it because it goes against Islamic traditions.”
Social worker Mohammed Shajahan said: “Mollah’s execution is part of a political agenda being carried out on the directives of a neighboring country.”
Anwar Hussain Mojamdar, an employee with a private firm, said: “(Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina is eliminating political enemies under the guise of liberation war crimes. How can one hang a person on the basis of a sentence passed by a tribunal?”
Social worker Asif Rahman said: “Whoever betrayed the nation by committing mass murder deserve punishment irrespective of their position or organization. They should be brought to justice even now.”
Community worker Rafiq-uz-Zaman said the country cannot escape what happened during the independence war. “The situation in our country is really bad now but it can be sorted out through dialogue. The death sentence for Mollah has added fuel to the situation.”
Another community worker, Akkas Mian, said: “I don’t want to comment on the execution of Mollah because I don’t know whether he was involved in the killing of liberation heroes. But the current political situation is not good for anyone. The parties should resolve it through dialogue.”
Bangla expats want fair trial for Jamaat leader
