Activists of the Gonojagoron Mancha (GJM) and other organisations have gathered at Dhaka's Shahbagh Square to demand capital punishment for war crimes accused and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.
'Fanshi, fanshi, fanshi chai, Nazimir fanshi chai' (We want death to Nizami) reverberated through the air at the key intersection of the Bangladesh capital on Wednesday, reports the Daily Star.
Nizami is facing 16 charges for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver a verdict today in a case filed against him for his wartime offences.
The charges are:
1. Causing the arrest, detention, torture and murder of three people including head maulana Kasim Uddin of Pabna Zilla School on June 4, 1971.
2. Conspiring to commit crimes, and cause the killings of 450 people, rape of 30-40 women and deportation of the villagers of Baousgari, Ruposhi and Demra in Pabna on May 14, 1971.
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3. Complicity in torture, murder and rape at Mohammadpur Physical Training Institute in Dhaka during the war.
4. Complicity in murder, rape, looting and destruction of properties at Karamja of Pabna on May 8, 1971.
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5. Complicity in the murder of 21 unarmed villagers of Arpara and Vutergari under Ishwardi Police Station on April 16, 1971.
6. Command responsibility for and involvement in the murder of 30 people of Dhulaura village on November 27, 1971.
7. Complicity in torture and murder of Sohrab Ali on December 3, 1971.
8. Murder of Bodi, Rumi, Jewel and Azad at the Old MP Hostel on August 30, 1971.
9. Act of genocide that left about 70 Hindus of Brishalikha village killed on December 3, 1971.
10. Involvement in the destruction of Onil Chandra Kundu's house.
11. Delivering an inciting speech on August 3, 1971, during a meeting of Islami Chhatra Sangha at the Muslim Institute of Chittagong.
12. Delivering an inciting speech on August 22, 1971, during a meeting organised in remembrance of Al Madani at the Islamic Academy Hall.
13. Delivering an inciting speech on September 8, 1971, marking the defence day on the Arts Building premises organised by Dhaka city unit of Chhatra Sangha.
14. Delivering an inciting speech to Razakars of Jessore on September 10, 1971.
15. Hatching a conspiracy to commit crimes at Sathia Pilot High School with Razakar commander Samad Miah.
16. Act of genocide to eliminate intellectuals and professionals.
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Nizami has been the Jamaat-e-Islami chief since 2000.