Two opposition leaders hanged in Bangladesh for 1971 war crimes

Bangladesh has hanged two opposition leaders for war crimes they were convicted of having committed during the nation’s 1971 war of independence, authorities announced Sunday.

Salauddin Quader Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, who were executed early Sunday, had been convicted in 2013 on charges including crimes against humanity. Two other opposition leaders have been hanged previously on similar charges, Jamaat-e-Islami officials Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Mollah.

The executions Sunday were conducted after petitions for presidential clemency were rejected earlier in the day. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences.

The ruling led to calls for protests by Jamaat, and as the executions approached, security around Dhaka Central Jail and adjoining areas was heightened. In addition to increased policing, all shops and establishments around the jail area were ordered shut, and onlookers were asked to clear the area.

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Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971 after warfare that left several million people dead. More than a dozen people were eventually convicted of various charges by a controversial special war crimes tribunal.

Jamaat worked against Bangladesh’s independence by collaborating with Pakistan and its military. Followers say the tribunal’s work and the punishment were politically motivated.

Kader is a special correspondent.

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