Bangladesh is bracing itself for more political and religious protests after Abdul Quader Mollah (Abdul Kader Mullah) was given the death penalty. Initially, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in February after being found guilty during a war crimes case in the courts of Bangladesh. This applies to his role during the brutal War of Independence (Bangladesh Liberation War) in 1971 from the tyranny of Pakistan, whereby militant Islamist forces allied themselves against the people of Bangladesh. The brutality of the Al Badr militia, and others like Al-Shams, is proven beyond doubt and now is the day of reckoning for major war criminals which assisted the enemies of Bangladesh. Some outside observers have questioned the timing of the trials because the brutal events took place over forty years ago. However, it could be stated that Bangladesh is fully maturing and now is the time to “cut the cancer” out of this nation in order to pave the way for a brighter future. Al Badr was involved in the systematic massacres of the Bengali intelligentsia, Hindus and anyone deemed a threat based on the whims of Pakistan. Therefore, anyone deemed a threat during the War of Liberation met a barbaric end because the Pakistan army was extremely brutal. The same applies to their auxiliary forces of hate including the Al Badr militia. The Independent, UK media group, commented after the first verdict against Abdul Quader Mollah was deemed to be too lenient by vast numbers of nationals in Bangladesh. This media group reported in February that“Abdul Quader Mollah, the assistant secretary-general of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party, sparked protests when he emerged from Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on 4 February having been handed a life sentence for his role in the atrocities committed during the 1971 war for independence. He was clearly happy with the ruling – giving a victory sign to supporters outside the court. But critics of the so-called “Butcher of Mirpur” – who was convicted of beheading a poet, raping an 11-year-old girl and shooting 344 people – have been left fuming over the sentence, and are calling for him to face the death sentence, like fellow accused Abul Kalam Azad.” Not surprisingly, militants within Jamaat-e-Islami are threatening more violence after the new legal judgement handed down the death penalty. Indeed, clashes have already broken out in parts of Dhaka and Chittagong. Islamist forces have also called for a major shutdown over the period of 48 hours in order to put further pressure on the political institutions of Bangladesh. It appears more than likely that Bangladesh will face a trying period over the next few months because militant supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami believe that violence, intimidation and political paralysis will serve their counter demands. It remains to be seen if international political pressure will be put on Bangladesh because some human rights organizations have criticized the verdict. Also, the role of America and the United Kingdom remains murky. This applies to supporting Pakistan wholeheartedly in the 1970s and not batting much of an eyelid way back in 1971. Likewise, many individuals involved in the brutal events of this period fled to America, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. This unholy trinity supported Islamist militancy in Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s (Pakistan continues to support militant groups in Kashmir and so forth in the modern period). The Investigative Project on Terrorism reports that “A survivor of a 1971 Islamist killing spree in Bangladesh tearfully told a war crimes tribunal Monday that he saw a man who would go on to lead the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) giving orders during the kidnapping, torture and murder of intellectuals.” “Delwar Hossain, 70, provided a dramatic eyewitness account against Ashrafuzzaman Khan, who remains on the executive board of ICNA’s New York chapter and is a leader of the North American Imams Federation.” “Prosecutors allege that Khan was the “chief executor” of a killing squad loyal to the Pakistani army during the closing days of Bangladesh’s war of independence. It targeted intellectuals to rob the newly-liberated nation of leadership. Khan and prominent U.K. imam Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin are being tried in absentia. Court-appointed defense attorneys are cross examining witnesses.” Lee Jay Walker, Modern Tokyo Times, comments that “Abdul Quader Mollah and other individuals who participated in the brutal deeds of 1971 are now facing the full wrath of the law in Bangladesh. For too long powerful forces prevented justice from being served in this country. However, times are now changing in Bangladesh. Indeed, it is essential to clamp down on past evil deeds. After all, the older Islamists within the Jamaat-e-Islami seek to indoctrinate the younger generation. Therefore, the past and today are interconnected in Bangladesh and the fifth column of yesterday is still a ticking time bomb against the unity of this nation state.” It is clear that Bangladesh is bracing itself against the threats of Jamaat-e-Islami and other forces which may seek to exploit the situation in this country. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh need to remain steadfast because the next few months are fraught with danger. Lee Jay Walker gave guidance and support to both main writers http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/17/bangladesh-islamic-leader-death-sentence http://www.investigativeproject.org/4155/eyewitness-places-icna-official-at-bangladesh http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-war-bangladesh-can-never-forget-8501636.html leejay@moderntokyotimes.com http://moderntokyotimes.com