VERDICT DISAPPOINTING

War crimes trial campaigners were angry and frustrated after the Supreme Court yesterday commuted the death sentence of Delawar Hossain Sayedee. They said the verdict had failed to live up to people's expectations. Tamanna Khan and Wasim Bin Habib spoke to a few of them.

MUNTASSIR MAMOON
"Everyone had anticipated that such a verdict would be delivered," said historian Muntassir Mamoon, adding that he could not give a reason for such apprehension.
"Though it is true that this verdict did not come as a surprise, it has saddened, frustrated and angered people," he said.
"We are accepting this verdict but at the same time we condemn it. This verdict will have an impact like that of 1975 and this government cannot realise it yet,"       said the vice-president of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee.

NASIRUDDIN YUSUFF
The verdict is unfortunate and unacceptable, said eminent cultural activist and freedom fighter Nasiruddin Yusuff Bachchu.
"Though I respect the court's order, I'm a freedom fighter and my emotions and beliefs are different. There cannot be any equation with the Liberation War.
"We sought the highest punishment for those who committed heinous crimes during the Liberation War in 1971. But we did not get it. We are upset," said Nasiruddin, president of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote.
He blamed the prosecution and investigation agency for moving the case with poor preparation. "We even saw a failure in providing proper security to the witnesses, which is unexpected," he said.

MA HASAN
War crimes researcher MA Hasan blamed weak investigation and the prosecution for a verdict that did not meet people's expectation.
"We have to show respect to the judgment of the Supreme Court. But people have their own perception about issues and accordingly they expected a certain verdict," he said, adding that the verdict would create anger and sadness.
Hasan believes that the judges of the Appellate Division had tried their best to mete out fair justice, but the investigation of this case was done in a “haphazard” and “lame” way.
He also criticised poor witness protection which scared a number of witnesses away.
The prosecution tried to establish the charges with witnesses and evidence in a weak and disorderly manner, he said.

ABED KHAN
"I am disappointed and I reject it since I have the right to do so as a citizen," said the noted journalist.
Abed, who testified in Sayedee's war crimes case, believes that the government would be more affected than the pro-liberation forces by such a judgement.
"The government has to realise who its real friends are. The pro-liberation forces are the real friends of the government and Bangladesh is the result of the Liberation War. Jamaat [Jamaat-e-Islami] or people like Sayedee can never be the friends of anyone," he said.
He observed that the court should have considered the Tribunal's decision on Sayedee.

PROF ANWAR HOSSAIN
Prof Anwar Hossain, the only war crimes trial campaigner from the civil society present at the Supreme Court yesterday, had a grim look as he walked out hearing the verdict of Sayedee's appeal.
"I am deeply saddened," he said.
Referring to the death sentence handed down to Sayedee last year by the international crimes tribunal, Anwar said, "I wanted that death sentence to be in place."
Most freedom fighters and their families had the same expectation but it was not met, he added.
However, as the apex court is the last place for justice for the citizens, everyone should accept the verdict even if they were saddened, he said.