Shahbagh youths celebrate over SQ Chy sentence

Youths of Gonojagoron Mancha bring out a celebratory procession after a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced opposition lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury death penalty for his crimes against humanity committed during the country's Liberation War. Photo: Photo: Focus Bangla

Gonojagoron Mancha youths brought out a celebratory procession in the city Tuesday moments after a special tribunal pronounced death penalty for BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for his crimes against humanity during the 1971 War of Independence.

Gonojagoron Mancha, which was formed in February on the day Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah was given life sentence for his war crimes, embraced each other as the verdict was announced.

The procession started from Shahbagh intersection and ended at the central Shaheed Minar.

Expressing satisfaction on the verdict, Imran H Sarker, convener of the Gonojagoron Mancha, said that the verdict was very important for the country following the verdict of Ghulam Azam, former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, who got 90-year jail for his war crimes during the country's Liberation War.

"Through the verdict, punishment was ensured for the murderer who committed genocide in Chittagong during the Liberation War", he told the reporter of a private TV channel.

"The war crime convict not only tortured people during the 1971 war but also was involved in killing intellectuals in Chittagong. His crimes have been proved now', Sarker said.

"Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on a number of occasions reacted violently to the judges of the International Crimes Tribunal-2", he added.

The convict most of the time showed disrespect to Bangladesh, said the spokesperson of the Gonojagoron Mancha.

When asked about their continuation of their demonstration, Imran said "We will continue until all of the war criminals’ sentences are executed."

The youths, mostly known as online bloggers, started to gather at Shahbagh intersection in the capital around 9:00am.

The opposition lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was awarded death penalty for murder and genocide during the country’s 1971 War of Independence.