KM Aminul Haque | |
|---|---|
| কে এম আমিনুল হক | |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Other names | Rajab Ali |
| Known for | Convicted war criminal |
| Criminal charge | Crimes against humanity |
| Criminal penalty | Death sentence |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
KM Aminul Haque (also known as Rajab Ali) is a Bangladeshi national who was convicted of crimes against humanity committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. [1] [2] He was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal on 5 November 2018. [3] [2]
Haque was born in Austagram Upazila, Kishoreganj District. [1] He was a student of the Gurudayal Government College. [1] He was an activist of East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. [1]
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Haque was a local commander of the paramilitary group Al-Badr in the then Kishoreganj Sub-Division (now District). [4] According to tribunal findings, he was involved in murder, looting, arson, torture, and kidnapping in various areas, including Kishoreganj, Bhairab, Brahmanbaria, and Habiganj. [4]
Haque reportedly received arms training at a Pakistan Army camp in Bhairab in 1971, after which he led a local unit of Al-Badr. [4] He and his associates were found responsible for the killing of numerous civilians, including members of the Hindu community and Muslims. [4] According to the prosecutors, 43 Hindus were killed in a raid on Krishnapur village in which he commanded along with Liakat. [5]
After the Independence of Bangladesh, Haque surrendered to the Joint Forces on 18 December 1971. [4] He was initially charged under the Bangladesh Collaborators Act in 1972 and sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment. [4] In 1981, he was released through a clemency by President Ziaur Rahman and later moved abroad, reportedly to a Middle Eastern country and Pakistan. [4] He wrote Al-Badr Bolchhi (I am Al-Badr speaking) about his work in the Al-Badr paramilitary. [5] He also wrote Dui Polashi, Dui Mir Jafa. [2] Both books spoke against the Bangladesh Liberation War and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. [2] He opened a medicine shop in Elephant Road, Dhaka. [1]
Haque contested the General Election June 1996 as a candidate of the Islamic Sashantantrik Andolan from Kishoreganj-5. [6] He finished 7th with 568 votes and lost to Mohammad Abdul Hamid of the Awami League who received 54,073. [6] He returned to Dhaka in 1997. [4] He last visited Pakistan in 2000. [5]
In 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal began investigating Haque’s activities during the war. [4] He went into hiding in Dhanmondi and Kalabagan with his wife. [5] They were financed by their daughters living outside of Bangladesh. [5] He was indicted in 2015 and sentenced to death in 2018. [7] [4] He evaded arrest and remained a fugitive until 2 July 2022, when the Rapid Action Battalion arrested him in the Kalabagan area of Dhaka. [8] [4]
Haque is married and has two daughters. [5] His daughters live in Singapore and Australia. [5]