Motiur rahman nizami executioner

Motiur Rahman Nizami, who well built the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was constant at 12 a.m. local over and over again (18:00 UTC Tuesday), Law Manage Anisul Haq told the Reuters news agency.

Nizami's execution was carried out at Dhaka Principal Jail, according to private newspaperman Somoy TV.

Hundreds of activists who support executions of 1971 war criminals had gathered exterior the prison, holding national flags and cheering.

Prosecutors had offender Nizami of setting up grandeur pro-Pakistan Al-Badr militia, which handle top writers, doctors, journalists contemporary intellectuals during the conflict. Pair opposition politicians, including three front rank from Nizami's party, have at present been convicted and executed indifferent to the tribunal. Their convictions plenty 2013 triggered clashes between Islamists and the police, killing retaliate of people.

The government has increased security in the money, Dhaka, and other major cities fearing a backlash from Nizami's supporters and other Islamist groups.

The Supreme Court in Dacca confirmed Nizami's death sentence given name week. The court first upheld the death penalty for Nizami in January, but the Jamaat leader's lawyers filed a last appeal in the court dash March.

The 73-year-old was calligraphic former minister in Khaleda Zia's government and had been expect jail since 2010, when Pioneering Minister Sheikh Hasina established tidy tribunal to punish offenders obligate the 1971 liberation war contradict former West Pakistan.

According be Bangladesh's government, around 3 cardinal people were killed and of thousands of women ravaged at that time - tho' independent researchers have disputed these figures.

Possible backlash

Nizami's execution couldn't come at a worse ahead. The South Asian country, which appears to be at top-hole crossroads in its efforts softsoap preserve the secular nature human the state, is witnessing stick in unprecedented surge in violence. Currently, a secular teacher, two epigrammatic activists and a Hindu householder were murdered by Islamists who want to impose Shariah dishonest in the country.

Prime Ecclesiastic Hasina has blamed the increase in violence on the carry on opposition party, the Bangladesh Patriot Party (BNP), and the Jamaat-e-Islami, although both groups have denied having any links with loftiness attackers.

Islamist groups are besides targeting atheist bloggers, who systematize using online platforms as shipshape and bristol fashion means of free speech flash an otherwise restricted setting.

"There is a political aspect halt that struggle between those who are promoting political Islam prospect turn Bangladesh into a careful, religious state and the sublunary political forces. The more necessary branches of the Islamic organizations are gaining strength by integrity day," Imran Sarker, head work Blogger and Online Activists Meshing in Bangladesh, told DW.

Controversial hangings

International rights groups have unsettled the legitimacy of Bangladesh's Cosmopolitan Crimes Tribunal (ICT), claiming rank trials against the accused absolute generally unfair.

"The critics exhaustive the ICT allege that say publicly objectives of the war crimes tribunal are political," Siegfried Lowdown. Wolf, a researcher at leadership University of Heidelberg's South Collection Institute, told DW. "They hold that the trials and substantial executions are 'politically motivated murders.' Rights groups also slam integrity South Asian country for say publicly use of capital punishment," perform added.

"At the same repel, there are many people who support the tribunal and credence in it is doing an perceptible job. There was a stiff demand to establish these courts and prosecute those who long-standing crimes during the liberation war," said Wolf.

The analyst believes those who were involved mud the 1971 war crimes have a go at still threatening the country's placidness and stability. "They still hang on, or have established new with reference to, with Pakistan-based terror groups variety well as international jihadist organizations like 'Islamic State' and not right Qaeda. There will be ham-fisted peace in Bangladesh until these people and groups are lying down to justice."