The Asiapost News

Dhaka, May 27, 2025 — In a decision that has sent shockwaves through Bangladesh, the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, acquitted ATM Azharul Islam, a senior leader of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, on May 27, 2025. The ruling overturned his 2014 death sentence for heinous war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War, igniting outrage among pro-liberation Bangladeshis and raising alarms about the interim government’s capitulation to radical Islamist forces. Under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’ administration, the reinstatement of Jamaat-e-Islami and the release of convicted terrorists signal a dangerous shift away from Bangladesh’s secular roots, threatening its sovereignty and destabilizing the region.

The 1971 Genocide and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Bloody Legacy

The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War was a brutal struggle for independence from Pakistan, marked by one of the 20th century’s worst genocides. Jamaat-e-Islami, a hardline Islamist party, actively collaborated with the Pakistan Army, forming paramilitary units like Al-Badr, Al-Shams, and the Razakar militia to crush Bengali nationalism. These groups targeted Hindus, Awami League supporters, the liberal population, and intellectuals, committing atrocities that scarred the nation’s psyche.

• Scale of Atrocities: Estimates of the genocide’s toll vary, but credible sources report 3 million Bengalis killed, with up to 30 million displaced internally and 10 million refugees fleeing to India. Over 250,000 women were raped, many by Razakars, resulting in 70,000 to 195,000 forced pregnancies. The systematic slaughter of intellectuals in December 1971, just before Pakistan’s surrender, aimed to decapitate Bangladesh’s cultural and intellectual leadership, with mass graves later found in Dhaka’s Rayerbazar and Mirpur.
• Specific Massacres: The Razakars, under Jamaat’s direction, were implicated in horrific incidents like the Dakra massacre (May 21, 1971), where 646 Hindus were killed in Bagerhat, and the Chuknagar massacre (May 20, 1971), where at least 12,000 of refugees were slaughtered in Khulna. Homes were burned, women abducted, and forced conversions to Islam were rampant.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s role was not incidental but central. Leaders like AKM Yusuf, who founded the Razakar force, and figures like Azharul Islam orchestrated these crimes, aligning with Pakistan’s genocidal campaign to preserve a united, Islamist state. The term “Razakar” became synonymous with betrayal, a stain that pro-liberation Bangladeshis still invoke with contempt.

ATM Azharul Islam’s Crimes

ATM Azharul Islam was the Rangpur commander of Al-Badr during the 1971 war and a senior figure in Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Sangha (now, Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir). Convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in 2014, he faced charges for some of the war’s most egregious crimes:

• Jharuarbeel Massacre: In April 1971, Azharul led the killing of over 1,250 civilians, predominantly Hindus, in Rangpur’s Jharuarbeel area. Entire villages were wiped out, with survivors describing indiscriminate shootings and arson.
• Sexual Violence: He was found guilty of raping 13 women, including one pregnant woman held for 19 days at Rangpur Town Hall, a notorious Al-Badr torture camp. Birangana Mansura Begum, a recognized war heroine, testified that Azharul and three Pakistani soldiers raped her while she was pregnant, causing the loss of her fetus after 18 days of captivity. Her testimony, delivered with raw anguish, was a cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.
• Abductions and Torture: Azharul was responsible for abducting 17 individuals, including Mukti Bahini fighters, and subjecting them to brutal torture. He also oversaw the looting and burning of hundreds of homes, targeting Bengali nationalists and Hindus.
• Scale of Charges: The ICT convicted him on five of six charges, including genocide, murder, rape, and torture, sentencing him to death. The Supreme Court upheld this verdict in 2019, but a review petition accepted in February 2025 led to his acquittal, citing “inadequate evidence assessment” and describing the original verdict as a “severe miscarriage of justice.”

Mansura Begum’s testimony was particularly harrowing. Recognized as a freedom fighter in 2015, she expressed relief at the 2014 verdict, saying, “I prayed after Azhar, a debaucher, got the death sentence.” Her account, corroborated by other survivors, painted a vivid picture of Azharul’s brutality, making his acquittal a gut-punch to those who suffered under his command.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Newfound Power Under Yunus

The acquittal of Azharul is not an isolated incident but part of a broader resurgence of Jamaat-e-Islami under Yunus’ interim government, which assumed power after Sheikh Hasina’s ousting in August 2024. Jamaat was banned on August 1, 2024, for its “militant and terrorist” activities, but the ban was lifted on August 28, 2024, allowing the party to re-enter politics. This move, coupled with the release of convicted war criminals and terrorists, has raised fears that Bangladesh is sliding toward an Islamist state.

• Political Influence: Jamaat’s leader, Shafiqur Rahman, has capitalized on the interim government’s leniency, celebrating Azharul’s release while offering a tepid apology for 1971, claiming executed Jamaat leaders were “judicially killed.” The party’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, has been linked to attacks on 45 Sufi shrines and Hindu temples since August 2024, with seven Hindus killed in Chittagong.
• Released War Criminals: Azharul’s acquittal follows a pattern of leniency toward convicted Razakars. Five other Jamaat and BNP leaders were executed under Hasina’s ICT, but Azharul’s survival highlights a shift. The Supreme Court’s critique of the ICT’s “flawed” evidence assessment suggests other convictions may be revisited, emboldening Jamaat’s push to rewrite the narrative of 1971.
• Constitutional Threat: Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman’s proposal to remove “secular” from the Constitution, citing Bangladesh’s 90% Muslim population, aligns with Jamaat’s long-standing goal of an Islamic state. The Constitutional Reform Commission’s suggestion to eliminate secularism, socialism, and nationalism further alarms pro-liberation groups, who see it as a betrayal of the 1971 war’s ideals.

Terrorists on the Loose

The release of convicted terrorists under Yunus’ watch has intensified concerns about Bangladesh’s security. Since August 2024, several high-profile radicals have been freed or escaped, often with apparent government acquiescence:

• Jasimuddin Rahmani: Leader of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), released on parole on August 26, 2024, from Kashimpur High-Security Central Jail. Convicted for inciting the 2013 murder of blogger Rajib Haider, Rahmani’s freedom has alarmed India due to ABT’s sleeper cells in Assam and West Bengal.
• Ikramul Haque (Abu Talha): ABT’s India operations head, escaped during the August 6, 2024, Sherpur jailbreak, where over 500 inmates fled after an armed mob attacked the prison.
• Shamim Mahfuz: Chief of Jamaat-ul-Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, either escaped or released post-August 2024.
• Sheikh Aslam: A radical figure, now free, with unclear affiliations.
• Golam Sarowar Rahat: Second-in-command of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), linked to the 2005 bomb blasts and ISIS. Sighted with Yunus at so-called Aynaghar, a supposed secret detention center, suggesting high-level access.

Estimates suggest dozens of such figures are now at large, with the Sherpur jailbreak alone freeing hundreds. Banned groups like Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami-Bangladesh (HuJI-B) have also resumed activities, with Hizb-ut-Tahrir holding a “March for Khilafat” in Dhaka on March 7, 2025, backed by Yunus’ advisers. The Rohingya refugee population, exceeding 1.3 million, faces radicalization risks from groups like the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, further amplifying the threat.

Most alarmingly, Yunus has been seen with radicals like Mamunul Haque of Hefazat-e-Islam and Rahat, raising questions about his administration’s complicity. These associations, combined with the release of war criminals like Azharul, suggest a deliberate tilt toward Islamist elements, undermining the sacrifices of 1971.

A Secular State Betrayed

Bangladesh was founded on the principles of democracy, secularism, Bengali nationalism, and social justice, as envisioned by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Awami League, despite its flaws, upheld this legacy. However, the Yunus regime’s actions—freeing Razakars, reinstating Jamaat, and tolerating attacks on minorities—threaten to dismantle this foundation. The Awami League, now banned, condemned Azharul’s acquittal as a “national disgrace,” accusing the judiciary of whitewashing war crimes. Pro-liberation voices on social media labeled Azharul a “butcher,” while some users decried the “Islamist takeover” under Yunus.

The proposed constitutional changes, which could erase secularism, are a direct assault on the 1971 war’s legacy. For a nation born fighting religious tyranny, the sight of Yunus alongside radicals and the freeing of figures responsible for mass murder and rape is a betrayal of unimaginable scale. Survivors like Mansura Begum, who endured unspeakable horrors, now face the agony of seeing their tormentors walk free.

Regional and Sovereignty Implications

The rise of Islamist forces in Bangladesh poses severe risks for South Asia, particularly India, which played a pivotal role in the 1971 war. The release of terrorists like Rahmani, linked to cross-border jihadi networks, threatens India’s northeastern states. Indian intelligence has reported ABT and JMB operatives in Assam and West Bengal, prompting covert economic measures like trade restrictions, which have driven inflation in Bangladesh. While aimed at countering extremism, these actions risk infringing on Bangladesh’s sovereignty, fueling anti-India sentiment exploited by radicals like Mahfuz Alam, a Yunus aide who accused India of “colonization.”

Internally, the interim government’s alignment with Jamaat and other radicals undermines the democratic transition planned for June 2026. The Bangladesh Army, led by General Waker-Uz-Zaman, has voiced concerns over prolonged interim rule and Yunus’ Islamist ties, hinting at potential military intervention. Such a move could echo Pakistan’s “Doctrine of Necessity,” plunging Bangladesh into further chaos and eroding its sovereignty.

A Harrowing Warning

ATM Azharul Islam’s acquittal is a stark warning: Bangladesh, a nation forged in the blood of 1971, is at risk of becoming an Islamist stronghold. The release of war criminals and terrorists, emboldened by Jamaat-e-Islami’s resurgence, is a slap in the face to the millions who died, the women raped, and the families shattered. Yunus’ administration, by cozying up to radicals and undermining secularism, is betraying the very ideals that birthed Bangladesh. Pro-liberation Bangladeshis must rally to protect their nation’s soul, demanding accountability for 1971’s atrocities and resisting the Islamist tide. The international community must step forward before a once peaceful and prosperous nation descends into a killing field and becomes a fertile breeding ground for the radical Islamists.