Editorial
Ghulam Azam's conviction
Long awaited moment
WE have the long awaited verdict on Ghulam Azam. The court has handed a 90-year jail term to the lynchpin of the genocide perpetrated by the rapacious Pakistan Army in 1971. It will, we hope, draw the curtain on a part of a dark chapter of our history. In some measure, it will, we hope, go to fulfill the demand of the people to bring the persons guilty of war crimes of 1971 to justice.
Ghulam Azam's trial and verdict are symbolic too, because he, as a close associate of the Pakistan Army, had become the icon of all the sufferings that the people of Bangladesh had to undergo during the nine month's of hell. And we take satisfaction in the fact that he has been tried and sentenced, even though it has taken 43 years to do so. Understandably, the verdict will have disappointed many, but the court in its wisdom has delivered a judgment which we should respect. In awarding him the jail term the learned Court has taken into consideration his age, which, we understand, is in conformity with international norms.
We would like to emphasize that this is a verdict on a war criminal against whom all the 5 charges have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. It has nothing to do with politics or religion and we deprecate anyone trying to link the two, as has been done by calling hartal yesterday. That we feel, is trying to foment trouble. And we warn the people to be watchful in this regard. Similarly, we feel that resentment against the verdict should not manifest in violence.
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