ATM Azharul Islam, a senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, was released from Dhaka Central Jail on Wednesday morning at 9:05 AM, following his acquittal in a war crimes case by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court.
Azharul had been in prison since August 23, 2012. In September 2023, he was moved from Kashimpur High Security Jail to Dhaka Central Jail due to health concerns and later taken to hospital for advanced treatment.
His release followed thorough scrutiny of the legal orders, including the withdrawal of all cases against him.
A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, led by the Chief Justice, delivered the acquittal on Tuesday. This verdict followed Azharul`s second appeal and came amid a changing political environment influenced by the July Uprising. It is the first full acquittal of a war crimes convict through a review petition.
Azharul had been sentenced to death on December 30, 2014, for alleged involvement in mass killings, abductions, and torture in Rangpur during the 1971 Liberation War. Though his death sentence was upheld in 2019, the top court has now ruled that the earlier verdict failed to properly assess all the evidence.
Supporters and political allies have described the ruling as a victory for justice. Azharul’s lawyer stated that “truth has prevailed.” A senior Jamaat leader credited the outcome to long-standing public struggle and recent political changes, while legal analysts have acknowledged the role of grassroots movements in shaping the path to the acquittal.
