Dhaka (AsiaNews)
- Abdul Quader Mollah , deputy secretary general of Jamaat-e- Islami (Islamic fundamentalist party) , was hanged last
night in Dhaka Central Jail . The
execution took place after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh had confirmed the death
sentence imposed last September for crimes against humanity committed
during the war of liberation from Pakistan in 1971. Protests - even violent - by
the party and supporters immediately followed.
Mollah
had been a key ally of the forces of opposition in Pakistan during the 1971 war.
Specifically,
he was accused of planning a series of executions, including the massacre of
Mirpur , for which he was nicknamed koshai, the butcher. After
execution, his body was handed over to the family, who this morning celebrated
the funeral rites in the village of Amirabad .
Jamaat
has already launched a hartal ( strike ) on a national level for next December
15. However,
the violence of its supporters has already been unleashed : this morning,
groups of Islamic fundamentalists set fire to houses and shops belonging to
Hindus minority, considered " ally " of the government . Christians
report "being afraid " Yesterday the leaders of the Bangladesh
Christian Association met with the Minister of the Interior , asking for
protection .