Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury

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Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury
Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury press conference 2010.jpg
Chowdhury at a 2010 press conference
Native name সালাউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরী
Born (1949-03-13)13 March 1949
Gahira village, Raozan Upazila, Chittagong, East Bengal
Died 22 November 2015(2015-11-22) (aged 66)
Dhaka Central Jail, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cause of death Execution by hanging
Resting place Raozan, Chittagong
Occupation Politician
Known for Politics, war crimes
Title Member of Jatiyo Sangshad
Term 1979-1983, 1986-1987, 1988-1990, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2008-2012
Political party Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Religion Islam
Criminal charge 23 counts of charges including rape, torture and genocide.[1]
Criminal penalty Death penalty
Parent(s) Fazlul Quader Chowdhury

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury (Bengali: সালাউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরী; 13 March 1949 – 22 November 2015) was a Bangladeshi politician, convicted war criminal, and seven-term member of parliament and member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee, who served as the adviser of parliamentary affairs to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in 2001–06.[2] On 1 October 2013, he was convicted and sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh for crimes against humanity including torture, murder and genocide during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[3][4] Questions have been raised from sources internal and external to Bangladesh regarding the fairness and integrity of the tribunal that convicted him.[5] The High Court rejected his review petition on 18 November 2015. According to the jail officials, Salahuddin submitted a mercy petition to the President of Bangladesh, which was rejected.[6] He was hanged to death on 22 November 2015.[7][3][8]

Early life[edit]

Chowdhury was born on 13 March 1949 in Gahira Village.[9] He was from a political family of Raozan upazila, Chittagong, Bangladesh. His father, Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, was a Speaker of Pakistan National Assembly and Acting President of Pakistan from time to time before the independence of Bangladesh.[10]

Political career[edit]

Chowdhury was a member of the Bangladesh Parliament.[11] He was a member of the standing committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).[12]

Chowdhury served as a member of parliament from Rangunia for seven terms, starting in 1979, and was re-elected in 1986, 1988, and 1991.[13] He was re-elected in 1996,[13] 2001[14] and finally in 2008.[11]

The War Crimes Tribunal[edit]

He was initially held at a hidden location termed Safe House in Dhanmondi and questioned by the special branch of police,[15] and the trial for his involvements in the 1971 Bangladesh genocide were due to begin in August 2011.[10]

War crime charges[edit]

Investigators have submitted charges against Chowdhury in International Crimes Tribunal. Some of them are listed below:[7][16]

  1. Abduction of 7 Hindu minority and killing 6 of them on 4–5 April 1971.
  2. Accompanying Pakistan army at the time of killing Maddhya Gohira Hindu Parha in Raozan on 13 April 1971.
  3. Killing Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya owner and social worker Nutan Chandra Singha 13 April 1971.
  4. Accompanying Pakistan army at the time of killing about 32 people, arson, looting and raping.
  5. Complicity in killing of Satish Chandra Palit on 14 April, burning his house and deportation of his family.
  6. Combined attack with Pakistan army to Hindu populated Shakhapura village at Boalkhali and killing 76 people.

Conviction[edit]

On 1 October 2013, International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Chowdhury to death by hanging for nine out of the 23 charges brought against him including torture, murder and genocide of some 200 civilians and collaborating with Pakistan's army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.[3] His party BNP argued that the trial is politically motivated.[17] On 18 November 2015, Bangladesh Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of Salahuddin, upholding the death sentence.[18][19] According to some sources, Salahuddin asked for mercy in a petition to the President of Bangladesh, but his appeal was rejected, although his members of family considered it as a lie.[6][6][20]

Death[edit]

On 22 November 2015,12:45 AM, GMT+6 Chowdhury was executed at Dhaka Central Jail.[21][22] The execution was reported by the Minister for Justice, Anisul Huq.[23] At the same stage, former Member of the parliament, convicted murderer and war criminal Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was executed by hanging. Chowdhury was buried at his village home in Raozan of Chittagong on 22 November 2015.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Vishakha Sonawane (18 November 2015). "Bangladeshi Supreme Court Rejects Appeals Of 2 Senior Leaders Convicted Of War Crimes, Upholds Death Sentence". International Business Times. 
  2. ^ "Please spare his life, SQ Chy's family urges President". 6 July 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c "Bangladesh MP Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury to hang for war crimes". BBC News. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013. 
  4. ^ Bartrop, Paul R. (July 2012). A Biographical Encyclopedia of Contemporary Genocide. ABC-CLIO. p. 374. ISBN 978-0313386787. 
  5. ^ "Bangladesh". The Economist. 
  6. ^ a b c "Bangladesh president rejects mercy plea of 2 war criminals - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2015-11-21. 
  7. ^ a b "Charges against SQ Chy". Dhaka Tribune. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013. 
  8. ^ Sarkar, Kailash (17 December 2010). "SQ Chy remanded". The Daily Star. Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
  9. ^ http://bangla.bdnews24.com/bangladesh/article1003463.bdnews
  10. ^ a b "SQ Chy's trial to begin in August: Quamrul". BD Inn. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011. 
  11. ^ a b "9th Parliament MP List" (PDF). Jatiyo Sangshad. Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
  12. ^ "Bangladesh National Party - BNP - Standing Committee". www.bnpbangladesh.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21. 
  13. ^ a b "SQ Chy feared Rangunia debacle". bdnews24.com. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011. 
  14. ^ "8th Parliament MP List" (PDF). Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
  15. ^ "SQ Chy being quizzed at this 'safe house'". Independent BD. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011. 
  16. ^ "The charges against Salauddin Quader". bdnews24.com. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013. 
  17. ^ "Bangladesh sentences 7th opposition lawmaker to death". The Times of India (Timesofindia.indiatimes.com). Reuters. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013. 
  18. ^ "SC publishes full verdict on Salauddin, Mojaheed". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 2015-11-20. 
  19. ^ "Bangladesh Set to Hang Opposition Leaders Within Days". NDTV.com. NDTV. Retrieved 2015-11-20. 
  20. ^ "Bangladesh president rejects death-row mercy petitions". Retrieved 21 November 2015. 
  21. ^ "Two top Bangladesh war criminals hanged". The Hindu (in en-IN). 2015-11-22. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2015-11-21. 
  22. ^ "সাকা-মুজাহিদের ফাঁসি কার্যকর". প্রথম আলো. Retrieved 2015-11-21. 
  23. ^ "Bangladesh executes 2 opposition leaders for war crimes". http://www.hindustantimes.com/. Retrieved 2015-11-21. 
  24. ^ "SQ Chy buried amid tight security". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2015-11-22. 
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