Abdul Quader Molla, a top Islamist of a key opposition party has been sentenced to death in Bangladesh for his role in mass killings committed during the country's war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. He was also convicted on a separate charge of murdering a prominent journalist, Khandoker Abu Taleb, in March 1971.
The following is a CPJ Blog post by Sumit Galhotra/CPJ Asia Program Research Associate:
Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has hardened the sentence against Abdul Quader Molla, a top Islamist of a key opposition party, from a life term to death for his role in mass killings committed during the country’s war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. But what caught my eye in particular was that Molla was also convicted on a separate charge of murdering a prominent journalist, Khandoker Abu Taleb, on March 29, 1971.
Taleb served as secretary-general of the East Pakistan Journalists’ Union when Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan. While the murder occurred well before CPJ began keeping records in 1992, it is worth noting how justice is sometimes delivered in Bangladesh’s imperfect criminal justice system and what this means for journalists who cover the developments.
Read the full story on CPJ’s site.