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{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Other people|Matiur Rahman}}
{{Other people|Matiur Rahman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =  
| honorific-prefix   =  
| name             = Motiur Rahman Nizami
| name               = Motiur Rahman Nizami
| image       =Motiur Rahman Nizami (1943–2016).jpg
| image               = Motiur Rahman Nizami (1943–2016).jpg
| imagesize   =220px
| imagesize           = 220px
| caption     =Nizami
| caption             = Nizami
| office       = Leader of [[Jamaat-e-Islami]]
| office             = Leader of [[Jamaat-e-Islami]]
| term_start   = 2000
| term_start         = 2000
| term_end     = 2016
| term_end           = 2016
| predecessor = [[Ghulam Azam]]
| predecessor         = [[Ghulam Azam]]
| successor   = [[Maqbul Ahmed]]
| successor           = [[Maqbul Ahmed]]
| office2 = Minister of Agriculture
| office2             = [[Ministry of Agriculture (Bangladesh)|Minister of Agriculture]]
| term_start2 = 10 October 2001
| primeminister2      = [[Khaleda Zia]]
| term_end2 = 22 May 2003
| president2          = {{unbulleted list|[[A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury|Badruddoza Chowdhury]]|[[Iajuddin Ahmed]]}}
| predecessor2 =
| term_start2         = 10 October 2001
| successor2 =
| term_end2           = 22 May 2003
| office3 = Minister of Industries
| predecessor2       =  
| term_start3 = 22 May 2003
| successor2         = [[M. K. Anwar]]
| term_end3 = 28 October 2006
| office3             = [[Ministry of Industries (Bangladesh)|Minister of Industries]]
| predecessor3 =
| president3          = {{unbulleted list|[[A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury|Badruddoza Chowdhury]]|[[Iajuddin Ahmed]]}}
| successor3 =
| primeminister3      = [[Khaleda Zia]]
| constituency_MP4 = [[Pabna-1]]
| term_start3         = 22 May 2003
| majority4   = 135,982 (57.68%)
| term_end3           = 28 October 2006
| term_start4 = 1 October 2001
| predecessor3       = [[M. K. Anwar]]
| term_end4 = 28 October 2006
| successor3         =  
| predecessor4 = Professor Abu Sayed
| constituency_MP4   = [[Pabna-1]]
| successor4   = Md. Shamsul Haque
| majority4           = 135,982 (57.68%)
| majority5   = 55,707 (36.85%)
| term_start4         = 1 October 2001
| term_start5 = 27 February 1991
| term_end4           = 28 October 2006
| term_end5 = 16 February 1996
| predecessor4       = Professor Abu Sayed
| predecessor5 =
| successor4         = Md. Shamsul Haque
| successor5   =Abu Sayed
| majority5           = 55,707 (36.85%)
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1943|3|31|df=y}}
| term_start5         = 27 February 1991
| birth_place = [[Santhia Upazila]], [[Pabna]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| term_end5           = 16 February 1996
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2016|5|11|1943|3|31|df=y}}
| predecessor5       =  
| death_place = [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| successor5         = Abu Sayed
| death_cause = Hanging (capital punishment)
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1943|3|31|df=y}}
| nationality =
| birth_place         = [[Santhia Upazila]], [[Pabna]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| party       = [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2016|5|11|1943|3|31|df=y}}
| otherparty   =
| death_place         = [[Dhaka Central Jail]], [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| spouse       = Shamsunnahar Nizami
| death_cause         = [[Execution by hanging]]
| relations   =
| nationality         =  
| children     =
| party               = [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]]
| residence   =
| otherparty         =  
| alma_mater   = [[University of Dhaka]]
| spouse             = Shamsunnahar Nizami
| occupation   =
| relations           =  
| profession   = Politician, scholar
| children           = Mohammad Nakibur Rahman<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jamaat-e-islami.org/en/news-details.php?category=2&news=2811 |title= Dr. Shafiqur Rahman urges all to be united against all anti-Islam conspiracies}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.islamicecon.com/dr-mohammad-nakibur-rahman.html |title= Mohammad Nakibur Rahman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uncp.edu/profile/mohammad-rahman-phd |title= Mohammad Rahman, Ph.D}}</ref><ref>Mohammad Nakibur Rahman is a professor at the University of North Carolina Pembroke</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsVqfIFEi8I&t=36s |title=Interview with Nizami's son Nakibur Rehman on his father's execution|website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>
| signature   =
| residence           =  
| website     =
| alma_mater         = [[University of Dhaka]]
| footnotes   =
| occupation         =  
| profession         = Politician, scholar
| signature           =  
| website             =  
| footnotes           =  
}}
}}


'''Motiur Rahman Nizami''' ({{lang-bn|মতিউর রহমান নিজামী|links=no}}; 31 March 1943 – 11 May 2016)<ref name=noose>{{cite news |author=Mohiuddin Faruq |date=5 May 2016 |title=Noose tightens on Nizami for war crimes as Bangladesh Jamaat chief loses last legal battle |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/05/05/noose-tightens-on-nizami-for-war-crimes-as-bangladesh-jamaat-chief-loses-last-legal-battle |access-date=5 May 2016 |newspaper=bdnews24.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami for 1971 war crimes to protect Pakistan |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/05/11/bangladesh-hangs-jamaat-e-islami-chief-nizami-for-1971-war-crimes-to-protect-pakistan |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2016}}</ref> was a politician, former Minister of [[Bangladesh]], Islamic scholar, writer, and the former leader of the [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami]].[[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al-Badr]] [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Karlekar">{{cite book |last=Karlekar |first=Hiranmay |date=2005 |title=Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan? |publisher=Sage |page=152 |isbn=978-0761934011}}</ref> On 29 October 2014, he was convicted and later [[Capital punishment|executed]] blaming of masterminding the [[Demra massacre]] by the [[International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)|International Crimes Tribunal]] of [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="bbc29Oct2014" /> Turkey withdrew Bangladesh ambassador after Jamaat-e-Islami leader Nizami's execution (BBC). A large number of Human rights organisations of the world protested against the judicial killing of Nizami and declare it an unfair trail against Nizami. He was the [[Member of Parliament]] for the [[Pabna-1]] constituency from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006.<ref name=noose/> He also served as the [[Ministry of Agriculture (Bangladesh)|Bangladeshi Minister of Agriculture]] and [[Ministry of Industries (Bangladesh)|Minister of Industry]].
'''Motiur Rahman Nizami''' ({{lang-bn|মতিউর রহমান নিজামী|links=no}}; 31 March 1943 – 11 May 2016)<ref name=noose>{{cite news |author=Mohiuddin Faruq |date=5 May 2016 |title=Noose tightens on Nizami for war crimes as Bangladesh Jamaat chief loses last legal battle |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/05/05/noose-tightens-on-nizami-for-war-crimes-as-bangladesh-jamaat-chief-loses-last-legal-battle |access-date=5 May 2016 |newspaper=bdnews24.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami for 1971 war crimes to protect Pakistan |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/05/11/bangladesh-hangs-jamaat-e-islami-chief-nizami-for-1971-war-crimes-to-protect-pakistan |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref> was a politician, former Minister of [[Bangladesh]], Islamic scholar, writer, and the former leader of the [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami]]. He is noted for leading the terror squad [[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al-Badr]] during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Karlekar">{{cite book |last=Karlekar |first=Hiranmay |date=2005 |title=Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan? |publisher=Sage |page=152 |isbn=978-0761934011}}</ref> On 29 October 2014, he was convicted of masterminding the [[Demra massacre]] by the [[International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)|International Crimes Tribunal]] of [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="bbc29Oct2014" /> Nizami was the [[Member of Parliament]] for the [[Pabna-1]] constituency from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006.<ref name=noose/> He also served as the [[Ministry of Agriculture (Bangladesh)|Bangladeshi Minister of Agriculture]] and [[Ministry of Industries (Bangladesh)|Minister of Industry]].


While various political entities and international organizations<ref>{{cite news |title=EU supports war crime trial, wants fairness |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=90186 |work=The Daily Star |agency=UNB |date=28 May 2009}}</ref> had originally welcomed the trials,<ref name="Adams">{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/05/18/letter-bangladesh-prime-minister-regarding-international-crimes-tribunals-act |title=Letter to the Bangladesh Prime Minister regarding the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act |last=Adams |first=Brad |date=18 May 2011|website=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}</ref><ref name="Ullah">{{cite news |last=Ullah |first=Ansar Ahmed |title=Vote of trust for war trial |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-221052 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=3 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Haq">{{cite book |last=Haq |first=M. Zahurul |date=2011|editor=M.N. Schmitt |editor2=Louise Arimatsu |editor3=T. McCormack |title=Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law - 2010 |edition=1st |publisher=Springer |page=463 |isbn=978-9067048101 }}</ref> in November 2011 [[Human Rights Watch]] criticized the government for aspects of their progress, lack of transparency, and reported harassment of defense lawyers and witnesses representing the accused.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/11/02/bangladesh-stop-harassment-defense-war-tribunal |title=Bangladesh: Stop Harassment of Defense at War Tribunal |date=2 November 2011 |website=Human Rights Watch}}</ref><ref name="Karim">{{cite book |last=Karim |first=Bianca |author2=Tirza Theunissen |date=2011 |editor=Dinah Shelton |title=International Law and Domestic Legal Systems: Incorporation, Transformation, and persuasion |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=114 |isbn=978-0199694907}}</ref><ref name="Ghafour">
While various political entities and international organizations<ref>{{cite news |title=EU supports war crime trial, wants fairness |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=90186 |work=The Daily Star |agency=UNB |date=28 May 2022}}</ref> had originally welcomed the trials,<ref name="Adams">{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/05/18/letter-bangladesh-prime-minister-regarding-international-crimes-tribunals-act |title=Letter to the Bangladesh Prime Minister regarding the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act |last=Adams |first=Brad |date=18 May 2011|website=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}</ref><ref name="Ullah">{{cite news |last=Ullah |first=Ansar Ahmed |title=Vote of trust for war trial |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-221052 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=3 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="Haq">{{cite book |last=Haq |first=M. Zahurul |date=2011|editor=M.N. Schmitt |editor2=Louise Arimatsu |editor3=T. McCormack |title=Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law - 2010 |edition=1st |publisher=Springer |page=463 |isbn=978-9067048101 }}</ref> in November 2011 [[Human Rights Watch]] criticized the government for aspects of their progress, lack of transparency, and reported harassment of defense lawyers and witnesses representing the accused.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/11/02/bangladesh-stop-harassment-defense-war-tribunal |title=Bangladesh: Stop Harassment of Defense at War Tribunal |date=2 November 2011 |website=Human Rights Watch}}</ref><ref name="Karim">{{cite book |last=Karim |first=Bianca |author2=Tirza Theunissen |date=2011 |editor=Dinah Shelton |title=International Law and Domestic Legal Systems: Incorporation, Transformation, and persuasion |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=114 |isbn=978-0199694907}}</ref><ref name="Ghafour">
{{cite news |last=Ghafour |first=Abdul |date=31 October 2012 |title=International community urged to stop 'summary executions' in Bangladesh |url=http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/international-community-urged-stop-%E2%80%98summary-executions%E2%80%99-bangladesh |newspaper=Arab News}}</ref> Nizami was the last high-profile suspect to be tried for war crimes of the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide; the court delayed his verdict in June 2014 because of the state of his health.<ref name="warverdict">[http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-bangladesh-war-crimes-verdict-on-jamaat-e-islami-chief-motiur-rahman-nizami-deferred-1997544 "Bangladesh war crimes: verdict on Jamaat-e- Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami deferred"], ''[[DNA India]]'', 24 June 2014</ref>
{{cite news |last=Ghafour |first=Abdul |date=31 October 2012 |title=International community urged to stop 'summary executions' in Bangladesh |url=http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/international-community-urged-stop-%E2%80%98summary-executions%E2%80%99-bangladesh |newspaper=Arab News}}</ref> Nizami was the last high-profile suspect to be tried for war crimes of the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide; the court delayed his verdict in June 2014 because of the state of his health.<ref name="warverdict">[http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-bangladesh-war-crimes-verdict-on-jamaat-e-islami-chief-motiur-rahman-nizami-deferred-1997544 "Bangladesh war crimes: verdict on Jamaat-e- Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami deferred"], ''[[DNA India]]'', 24 June 2014</ref>


In 2004, Nizami was convicted under separate charges for [[Chittagong arms case|arms trafficking]] to the state of [[Assam, India]] and was sentenced to death, along with 13 other men in January 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami to hang |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25962798 |work=BBC News |date=30 January 2014 |access-date=5 October 2014}}</ref>
In 2004, Nizami was convicted under separate charges for [[Chittagong arms case|arms trafficking]] to the state of [[Assam, India]] and was sentenced to death, along with 13 other men in January 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami to hang |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25962798 |work=BBC News |date=30 January 2014 |access-date=5 October 2022}}</ref>


On 29 October 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in masterminding the [[Demra massacre]], in which 800–900 unarmed [[Hindus|Hindu]] civilians were killed after the women were raped. The people of Pakistan have supported his public execution. He was executed by [[hanging]] at [[Dhaka Central Jail]] on 11 May 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nizami executed |url=http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/104261/Nizami-executed |newspaper=[[Prothom Alo]] |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511133902/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/104261/Nizami-executed |archive-date=11 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is the third minister of Bangladesh to be hanged.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami for 1971 war crimes |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/10/29/bangladesh-to-hang-jamaat-e-islami-chief-nizami-for-1971-war-crimes |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref> He was frequently listed on ''[[The 500 Most Influential Muslims]]''.<ref name=TheMuslim500>{{cite book |editor-last=Schleifer |editor-first=S. Abdallah |editor-link=Abdallah Schleifer |title=The Muslim 500: The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims, 2013/14 |url=http://themuslim500.com/downloads/m500-2013-131112-low.pdf |location=[[Amman]] |publisher=[[Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre]] |page=145 |isbn=978-9957-428-37-2 |access-date=13 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://themuslim500.com/downloads/151001-TheMuslim500-2016v009(23%7C48)-Web-Low.pdf |title=The Muslim 500 : The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims |author=S Abdallah Schleifer |website=The Muslim 500 |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126065025/http://themuslim500.com/downloads/151001-TheMuslim500-2016v009(23%7C48)-Web-Low.pdf |archive-date=26 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 29 October 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in masterminding the [[Demra massacre]], in which 800–900 unarmed [[Hindus|Hindu]] civilians were killed after the women were raped. He was executed by [[hanging]] at [[Dhaka Central Jail]] on 11 May 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nizami executed |url=http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/104261/Nizami-executed |newspaper=[[Prothom Alo]] |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511133902/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/104261/Nizami-executed |archive-date=11 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is the third minister of Bangladesh to be hanged.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami for 1971 war crimes |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/10/29/bangladesh-to-hang-jamaat-e-islami-chief-nizami-for-1971-war-crimes |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref> He was frequently listed on ''[[The 500 Most Influential Muslims]]''.<ref name=TheMuslim500>{{cite book |editor-last=Schleifer |editor-first=S. Abdallah |editor-link=Abdallah Schleifer |title=The Muslim 500: The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims, 2013/14 |url=http://themuslim500.com/downloads/m500-2013-131112-low.pdf |location=[[Amman]] |publisher=[[Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre]] |page=145 |isbn=978-9957-428-37-2 |access-date=13 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://themuslim500.com/downloads/151001-TheMuslim500-2016v009(23%7C48)-Web-Low.pdf |title=The Muslim 500 : The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims |author=S Abdallah Schleifer |website=The Muslim 500 |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126065025/http://themuslim500.com/downloads/151001-TheMuslim500-2016v009(23%7C48)-Web-Low.pdf |archive-date=26 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
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Nizami rose in the ranks of the [[East Pakistan]] branch of [[Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan]] in the 1960s, having led the student organization, Islamic Chhatro Shango (now [[Islami Chhatro Shibir]]). After the independence of Bangladesh, [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], the first president, banned Jamaat from political participation as it had opposed the liberation war, and many of its members collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the conflict. Nizami and some other top leaders left the country.
Nizami rose in the ranks of the [[East Pakistan]] branch of [[Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan]] in the 1960s, having led the student organization, Islamic Chhatro Shango (now [[Islami Chhatro Shibir]]). After the independence of Bangladesh, [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], the first president, banned Jamaat from political participation as it had opposed the liberation war, and many of its members collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the conflict. Nizami and some other top leaders left the country.


After the [[assassination]] by military officers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975, [[Ziaur Rahman]] became president in a coup in 1977. He permitted top Jamaat leaders,<ref>{{cite news |title=Explain what is 'Hanadar Bahini' |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/explain-what-hanadar-bahini-187342 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=14 December 2015 |access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref> such as [[Ghulam Azam]] and Nizami,{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}  to return to Bangladesh in 1978; they revived the Jamaat party, which became the largest Islamist party in the country. Nizami emerged as a key leader of the Jamaat, organising the [[Islami Chhatra Shibir]] (Jammat Students Organisation), which serves as the youth wing of the Jamaat.
After the [[assassination]] by military officers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975, [[Ziaur Rahman]] became president in a coup in 1977. He permitted top Jamaat leaders,<ref>{{cite news |title=Explain what is 'Hanadar Bahini' |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/explain-what-hanadar-bahini-187342 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=14 December 2015 |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref> such as [[Ghulam Azam]] and Nizami,{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}  to return to Bangladesh in 1978; they revived the Jamaat party, which became the largest Islamist party in the country. Nizami emerged as a key leader of the Jamaat, organising the [[Islami Chhatra Shibir]] (Jammat Students Organisation), which serves as the youth wing of the Jamaat.


In 1991, he was elected as a [[Member of Parliament]], representing Jamaat-e-Islami for the constituency of [[Pabna|Pabna-1]]; he was Jamaat's Parliamentary Party leader until 1994.<ref name = "Jamaat Biography">[http://www.jamaat-e-islami.org/index.php?option=com_popup_org&Sub_Menu=PR&Info_Id=12 Biography], [[Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh]].</ref> During the [[1996 Bangladeshi general election|1996 elections]], he lost to the candidates of both the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] (BNP), an ally of Jamaat, and the [[Awami League]] in his constituency. Professor Abu Sayed of the Awami League gained his seat.
In 1991, he was elected as a [[Member of Parliament]], representing Jamaat-e-Islami for the constituency of [[Pabna|Pabna-1]]; he was Jamaat's Parliamentary Party leader until 1994.<ref name = "Jamaat Biography">[http://www.jamaat-e-islami.org/index.php?option=com_popup_org&Sub_Menu=PR&Info_Id=12 Biography], [[Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh]].</ref> During the [[1996 Bangladeshi general election|1996 elections]], he lost to the candidates of both the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] (BNP), an ally of Jamaat, and the [[Awami League]] in his constituency. Professor Abu Sayed of the Awami League gained his seat.


In 1971, Nizami was a chief of the infamous [[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al-Badr]] militia.<ref name="2016a1">{{cite news |title=War crimes charges against pro-Pakistan militia commander Nizami who headed Bangladesh Jamaat |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/05/11/war-crimes-charges-against-pro-pakistan-militia-commander-nizami-who-headed-bangladesh-jamaat |work=bdnews24.com |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2016}}</ref> Along with the Pakistan Army, this militia abducted and [[1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals|massacred 989 Bengali intellectuals]] including professors, journalists, litterateurs, doctors and [[Mukti Bahini|pro-Bangladesh activists]] in general.<ref name="2016a2">{{cite news |last1=Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary |last2=Wasim Bin Habib |last3=Mahbubur Rahman Khan |title=Operated like Gestapo |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/operated-like-gestapo-48000 |work=The Daily Star |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=11 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="2016a3">{{cite news |title=Al-Badr's onus on Nizami |url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2016/may/11/al-badrs-onus-nizami |work=Dhaka Tribune |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2016}}</ref>
In 1971, Nizami was a chief of the infamous [[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al-Badr]] militia.<ref name="2016a1">{{cite news |title=War crimes charges against pro-Pakistan militia commander Nizami who headed Bangladesh Jamaat |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/05/11/war-crimes-charges-against-pro-pakistan-militia-commander-nizami-who-headed-bangladesh-jamaat |work=bdnews24.com |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref> Along with the Pakistan Army, this militia abducted and [[1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals|massacred 989 Bengali intellectuals]] including professors, journalists, litterateurs, doctors and [[Mukti Bahini|pro-Bangladesh activists]] in general.<ref name="2016a2">{{cite news |last1=Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary |last2=Wasim Bin Habib |last3=Mahbubur Rahman Khan |title=Operated like Gestapo |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/operated-like-gestapo-48000 |work=The Daily Star |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="2016a3">{{cite news |title=Al-Badr's onus on Nizami |url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2016/may/11/al-badrs-onus-nizami |work=Dhaka Tribune |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref>


===Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami===
===Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami===
Nizami took over as the leader of Jamaat from Ghulam Azam in 2001.<ref name="Islamic Voice">[http://www.islamicvoice.com/december.2000/news.htm#peo "Prof. Ghulam Azam Retires"], ''Islamic Voice,'' December 2006.</ref> In the same year, representing his party as part of a four-party alliance including BNP, Nizami won a seat in Parliament in [[Pabna-1]], receiving 57.68% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=68 |title=Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Vote Monitor Networks |access-date=30 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229003022/http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=68 |archive-date=29 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ec.org.bd/MenuExternalFilesEng/124.pdf |title=Statistical Report: 8th Parliament Election |website=Bangladesh Election Commission |page=90 |access-date=30 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001427/http://www.ec.org.bd/MenuExternalFilesEng/124.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 2001 to 2003, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, then as the Minister of Industry from 2003 to 2006.
Nizami took over as the leader of Jamaat from Ghulam Azam in 2001.<ref name="Islamic Voice">[http://www.islamicvoice.com/december.2000/news.htm#peo "Prof. Ghulam Azam Retires"], ''Islamic Voice,'' December 2006.</ref> In the same year, representing his party as part of a four-party alliance including BNP, Nizami won a seat in Parliament in [[Pabna-1]], receiving 57.68% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=68 |title=Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Vote Monitor Networks |access-date=30 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229003022/http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=68 |archive-date=29 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ec.org.bd/MenuExternalFilesEng/124.pdf |title=Statistical Report: 8th Parliament Election |website=Bangladesh Election Commission |page=90 |access-date=30 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001427/http://www.ec.org.bd/MenuExternalFilesEng/124.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 2001 to 2003, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, then as the Minister of Industry from 2003 to 2006.


Nizami was defeated in the [[2008 Bangladesh general election|December 2008 general election]] as a candidate of the Four-Party Alliance, losing his seat for Pabna-1 to Md. Shamsul Haque of the [[Awami League]]. Nizami received 45.6% of the votes. The Awami League took two-thirds of the seats in Parliament.
Nizami was defeated in the [[2008 Bangladesh general election|December 2008 general election]] as a candidate of the Four-Party Alliance, losing his seat for Pabna-1 to Md. Shamsul Haque of the [[Awami League]]. Nizami received 45.6% of the votes. The Awami League took two-thirds of the seats in Parliament.
Line 85: Line 89:
In May 2008, the Anti-corruption Commission of Bangladesh indicted Nizami in the GATCO Corruption case, in which he along with several other politicians were alleged to have illegally granted a container-depot contract to the local firm GATCO.<ref name="reuters">[http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-33591720080515 "Bangladesh orders arrest of Islamist party chief"], Reuters, 15 May 2008.</ref> A warrant was issued to arrest Nizami along with 12 others on 15 May 2008.
In May 2008, the Anti-corruption Commission of Bangladesh indicted Nizami in the GATCO Corruption case, in which he along with several other politicians were alleged to have illegally granted a container-depot contract to the local firm GATCO.<ref name="reuters">[http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-33591720080515 "Bangladesh orders arrest of Islamist party chief"], Reuters, 15 May 2008.</ref> A warrant was issued to arrest Nizami along with 12 others on 15 May 2008.


Nizami was charged with conspiring with 12 other politicians to award the contract to GATCO although the company did not meet the conditions of the tender. The prosecution alleged that the deal with GATCO caused a total loss of more than 100 million [[Bangladeshi Taka]] to the Government.<ref name="independent20080515">{{cite news |title=12 'fugitives' face arrest order |url=http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200805165400/country/12-fugitives-face-arrest-order.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=Dhaka |date=16 May 2008 |access-date=15 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813180412/http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200805165400/country/12-fugitives-face-arrest-order.html |archive-date=13 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nizami denied the charges and said they were politically motivated.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |title=Bangladeshi religious leader held |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7407665.stm |work=BBC News |date=19 May 2008}}</ref> He was released after two months on bail.
Nizami was charged with conspiring with 12 other politicians to award the contract to GATCO although the company did not meet the conditions of the tender. The prosecution alleged that the deal with GATCO caused a total loss of more than 100 million [[Bangladeshi Taka]] to the Government.<ref name="independent20080515">{{cite news |title=12 'fugitives' face arrest order |url=http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200805165400/country/12-fugitives-face-arrest-order.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=Dhaka |date=16 May 2008 |access-date=15 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813180412/http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200805165400/country/12-fugitives-face-arrest-order.html |archive-date=13 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nizami denied the charges and said they were politically motivated.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |title=Bangladeshi religious leader held |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7407665.stm |work=BBC News |date=19 May 2022}}</ref> He was released after two months on bail.


===Blasphemy charges===
===Blasphemy charges===
In a public speech on 17 March 2010, the Dhaka Jamaat chief, Rafiqul Islam, compared Nizami's life to that of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]], persisting in the face of persecution. On 21 March, the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation sued Rafiqul, Nizami and other Jamaat members "for hurting Islamic sentiments of the masses by comparing Nizami with the Prophet".<ref name=arrest>{{cite news |title=Nizami, Mojaheed, Saydee arrested |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=24492 |newspaper=The Daliy Star |date=29 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108205132/http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=24492 |archive-date=8 January 2012}}</ref>
In a public speech on 17 March 2010, the Dhaka Jamaat chief, Rafiqul Islam, compared Nizami's life to that of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]], persisting in the face of persecution. On 21 March, the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation sued Rafiqul, Nizami and other Jamaat members "for hurting Islamic sentiments of the masses by comparing Nizami with the Prophet".<ref name=arrest>{{cite news |title=Nizami, Mojaheed, Saydee arrested |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=24492 |newspaper=The Daliy Star |date=29 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108205132/http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=24492 |archive-date=8 January 2022}}</ref>


Nizami, along with three other senior Jamaat leaders, was arrested on charges on 29 March 2010.<ref name=bdnews270311>{{cite news |title=Proceeding against Nizami, Mojaheed put off |url=http://bdnews24.com/politics/2011/03/27/religious-sentimentproceeding-against-nizami-mojaheed-put-off |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=27 March 2011}}</ref> He secured bail the next day and appealed for dismissal of the case on 14 February 2011. The High Court adjourned the case for four months in March 2011.<ref name=bdnews270311/>
Nizami, along with three other senior Jamaat leaders, was arrested on charges on 29 March 2010.<ref name=bdnews270311>{{cite news |title=Proceeding against Nizami, Mojaheed put off |url=http://bdnews24.com/politics/2011/03/27/religious-sentimentproceeding-against-nizami-mojaheed-put-off |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=27 March 2022}}</ref> He secured bail the next day and appealed for dismissal of the case on 14 February 2011. The High Court adjourned the case for four months in March 2011.<ref name=bdnews270311/>


===Smuggling charges===
===Smuggling charges===
On 4 May 2011, Nizami was arrested on allegations of smuggling arms to [[Assamese insurgents]] in India in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nizami quizzed in Ctg arms haul cases |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/war-crimes-trials/2011/05/07/nizami-quizzed-in-ctg-arms-haul-cases |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=7 May 2011}}</ref> His bail petition on 7 September 2011 was denied.<ref name=nobail>{{cite news |title=10-Truck arms case: Nizami denied bail |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2011/09/07/10-truck-arms-case-nizami-denied-bail |newspaper=[[bdnews24.com]] |date=7 September 2011 |access-date=7 September 2011}}</ref>
On 4 May 2011, Nizami was arrested on allegations of smuggling arms to [[Assamese insurgents]] in India in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nizami quizzed in Ctg arms haul cases |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/war-crimes-trials/2011/05/07/nizami-quizzed-in-ctg-arms-haul-cases |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=7 May 2022}}</ref> His bail petition on 7 September 2011 was denied.<ref name=nobail>{{cite news |title=10-Truck arms case: Nizami denied bail |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2011/09/07/10-truck-arms-case-nizami-denied-bail |newspaper=[[bdnews24.com]] |date=7 September 2011 |access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>


On 30 January 2014, Nizami and 13 co-conspirators were sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of smuggling arms.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/665334/bangladesh-court-sentences-ji-chief-to-death/ "Bangladesh court sentences JI chief to death"], ''[[The Express Tribune]]'', 30 January 2014</ref>
On 30 January 2014, Nizami and 13 co-conspirators were sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of smuggling arms.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/665334/bangladesh-court-sentences-ji-chief-to-death/ "Bangladesh court sentences JI chief to death"], ''[[The Express Tribune]]'', 30 January 2014</ref>
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{{main|International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)}}
{{main|International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)}}
[[File:গণজাগরণ মঞ্চ - GonoJagoron Moncho, Demanding Death Penalty of Motiur Rahman Nizami (02).jpg|thumb|GonoJagoron Moncho is demanding death penalty of Nizami on 4 May 2016.]]
[[File:গণজাগরণ মঞ্চ - GonoJagoron Moncho, Demanding Death Penalty of Motiur Rahman Nizami (02).jpg|thumb|GonoJagoron Moncho is demanding death penalty of Nizami on 4 May 2016.]]
In 2009, the [[Awami League]]-led Bangladesh government established a tribunal in Bangladesh to investigate those suspected of committing atrocities during [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] in 1971. Nizami and eight other leaders of [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]] were charged with war crimes by the prosecution, as were two leaders of the [[Bangladesh National Party]]. Opposition parties and human rights groups alleged political interference in the trial, given that all the accused were leading opposition politicians.<ref name=WSJ1>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh War-Crime Tribunal Bogs Down |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323777204578189153918592308 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=20 December 2012 |access-date=18 April 2013}}</ref> Nizami was the last high-profile suspect to be tried for 1971 war crimes; the court delayed his verdict in June 2014 because of the state of his health.<ref name="warverdict"/> On 29 October 2014, it was announced that Nizami had been sentenced to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.<ref name="bbc29Oct2014">{{cite news |title=Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami sentenced to death |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-29813571 |work=BBC News |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=29 October 2014}}</ref>
In 2009, the [[Awami League]]-led Bangladesh government established a tribunal in Bangladesh to investigate those suspected of committing atrocities during [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] in 1971. Nizami and eight other leaders of [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]] were charged with war crimes by the prosecution, as were two leaders of the [[Bangladesh National Party]]. Opposition parties and human rights groups alleged political interference in the trial, given that all the accused were leading opposition politicians.<ref name=WSJ1>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh War-Crime Tribunal Bogs Down |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323777204578189153918592308 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=20 December 2012 |access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref> Nizami was the last high-profile suspect to be tried for 1971 war crimes; the court delayed his verdict in June 2014 because of the state of his health.<ref name="warverdict"/> On 29 October 2014, it was announced that Nizami had been sentenced to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.<ref name="bbc29Oct2014">{{cite news |title=Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami sentenced to death |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-29813571 |work=BBC News |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref>


==Death==
==Death==
On 11 May 2016, Nizami was [[Hanging|hanged]] at [[Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj|Dhaka Central Jail]], just days after the nation's highest court dismissed his final appeal to overturn the death sentence for atrocities committed during the country's 1971 war. He was hanged just before midnight (1800 GMT) after he refused to seek mercy from the [[President of Bangladesh]]. He was executed between 11:50 pm and 12:01 am midnight.<ref name="Bangladesh executes top Jamaat leader - Dawn">{{cite news |title=Bangladesh executes top Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman over '1971 war crimes' |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1257512/bangladesh-executes-top-jamaat-leader-motiur-rahman-over-1971-war-crimes |newspaper=Dawn |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2016}}</ref>
On 11 May 2016, Nizami was [[Hanging|hanged]] at [[Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj|Dhaka Central Jail]], just days after the nation's highest court dismissed his final appeal to overturn the death sentence for atrocities committed during the country's 1971 war. He was hanged just before midnight (1800 GMT) after he refused to seek mercy from the [[President of Bangladesh]]. He was executed between 11:50 pm and 12:01 am midnight.<ref name="Bangladesh executes top Jamaat leader - Dawn">{{cite news |title=Bangladesh executes top Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman over '1971 war crimes' |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1257512/bangladesh-executes-top-jamaat-leader-motiur-rahman-over-1971-war-crimes |newspaper=Dawn |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref> He was buried at his family’s home in northern Bangladesh.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36261197.amp|title = Bangladesh hangs top Islamist leader|date = 10 May 2022}}</ref>


===Reaction ===
===Reaction ===
{{flag|Pakistan}}:Pakistan's foreign office said in statement that "Pakistan is deeply saddened over the hanging of the emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Bangladesh, Mr Motiur Rahman Nizami, for the alleged crimes committed before December 1971.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan condemns BD JI chief's execution |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1257796 |newspaper=Dawn |access-date=17 May 2016}}</ref>
{{flag|Pakistan}}:Pakistan's foreign office said in statement that "Pakistan is deeply saddened over the hanging of the emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Bangladesh, Mr Motiur Rahman Nizami, for the alleged crimes committed before December 1971.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan condemns BD JI chief's execution |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1257796 |newspaper=Dawn |access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref>


{{flag|Turkey}}:Turkey condemned execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-condemns-execution-of-bangladeshs-islamist-party-head-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99042&NewsCatID=356|title=Turkey condemns execution of Bangladesh's Islamist party head - ASIA|access-date=17 May 2016}}</ref> and withdrew Turkish Ambassador from Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/turkey-withdraws-bangladesh-ambassador-after-jamaat-e-islami-leader-nizami-execution/1/666831.html|title=Turkey withdraws Bangladesh ambassador after Jamaat-e-Islami leader Nizami's execution |magazine=India Today |access-date=17 May 2016}}</ref>
{{flag|Turkey}}:Turkey condemned execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-condemns-execution-of-bangladeshs-islamist-party-head-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99042&NewsCatID=356|title=Turkey condemns execution of Bangladesh's Islamist party head - ASIA|access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref> and withdrew Turkish Ambassador from Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/turkey-withdraws-bangladesh-ambassador-after-jamaat-e-islami-leader-nizami-execution/1/666831.html|title=Turkey withdraws Bangladesh ambassador after Jamaat-e-Islami leader Nizami's execution |magazine=India Today |access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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{{s-off}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Ghulam Azam]]}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Ghulam Azam]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=Ameer of [[Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh]] | years=2001–2016}}
{{s-ttl | title=Ameer of [[Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh]] | years=2001–2022}}
{{s-aft | after=TBD}}
{{s-aft | after=TBD}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}
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[[Category:Executed politicians]]
[[Category:Executed politicians]]
[[Category:Government Madrasah-e-Alia alumni]]
[[Category:Government Madrasah-e-Alia alumni]]
[[Category:1971 Bangladesh genocide perpetrators]]
[[Category:Executed mass murderers]]

Latest revision as of 12:09, 18 November 2022


For other people named Matiur Rahman, see Matiur Rahman (disambiguation).
Motiur Rahman Nizami
File:Motiur Rahman Nizami (1943–2016).jpg
Nizami
Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami
In office
2000–2016
Preceded byGhulam Azam
Succeeded byMaqbul Ahmed
Minister of Agriculture
In office
10 October 2001 – 22 May 2003
President
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Succeeded byM. K. Anwar
Minister of Industries
In office
22 May 2003 – 28 October 2006
President
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Preceded byM. K. Anwar
Member of Parliament
for Pabna-1
In office
1 October 2001 – 28 October 2006
Preceded byProfessor Abu Sayed
Succeeded byMd. Shamsul Haque
Majority135,982 (57.68%)
In office
27 February 1991 – 16 February 1996
Succeeded byAbu Sayed
Majority55,707 (36.85%)
Personal details
Born(1943-03-31)31 March 1943
Santhia Upazila, Pabna, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died11 May 2016(2016-05-11) (aged 73)
Dhaka Central Jail, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Political partyJamaat-e-Islami
Spouse(s)Shamsunnahar Nizami
ChildrenMohammad Nakibur Rahman[1][2][3][4][5]
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka
ProfessionPolitician, scholar

Motiur Rahman Nizami (Bengali: মতিউর রহমান নিজামী; 31 March 1943 – 11 May 2016)[6][7] was a politician, former Minister of Bangladesh, Islamic scholar, writer, and the former leader of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He is noted for leading the terror squad Al-Badr during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[8] On 29 October 2014, he was convicted of masterminding the Demra massacre by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh.[9] Nizami was the Member of Parliament for the Pabna-1 constituency from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006.[6] He also served as the Bangladeshi Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Industry.

While various political entities and international organizations[10] had originally welcomed the trials,[11][12][13] in November 2011 Human Rights Watch criticized the government for aspects of their progress, lack of transparency, and reported harassment of defense lawyers and witnesses representing the accused.[14][15][16] Nizami was the last high-profile suspect to be tried for war crimes of the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide; the court delayed his verdict in June 2014 because of the state of his health.[17]

In 2004, Nizami was convicted under separate charges for arms trafficking to the state of Assam, India and was sentenced to death, along with 13 other men in January 2014.[18]

On 29 October 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in masterminding the Demra massacre, in which 800–900 unarmed Hindu civilians were killed after the women were raped. He was executed by hanging at Dhaka Central Jail on 11 May 2016.[19] He is the third minister of Bangladesh to be hanged.[20] He was frequently listed on The 500 Most Influential Muslims.[21][22]

Early life and education[edit]

Nizami was born on 31 March 1943 in the village of Monmothpur of Santhia Upazila at Pabna. His father was Lutfur Rahman Khan. He completed his secondary education at a madrasa. In 1963, he received his Kamil degree in Islamic jurisprudence from Madrasa-e-Alia in Dhaka. He earned his bachelor's from the University of Dhaka in 1967.[6]

Political career[edit]

Nizami rose in the ranks of the East Pakistan branch of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan in the 1960s, having led the student organization, Islamic Chhatro Shango (now Islami Chhatro Shibir). After the independence of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president, banned Jamaat from political participation as it had opposed the liberation war, and many of its members collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the conflict. Nizami and some other top leaders left the country.

After the assassination by military officers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975, Ziaur Rahman became president in a coup in 1977. He permitted top Jamaat leaders,[23] such as Ghulam Azam and Nizami,[citation needed] to return to Bangladesh in 1978; they revived the Jamaat party, which became the largest Islamist party in the country. Nizami emerged as a key leader of the Jamaat, organising the Islami Chhatra Shibir (Jammat Students Organisation), which serves as the youth wing of the Jamaat.

In 1991, he was elected as a Member of Parliament, representing Jamaat-e-Islami for the constituency of Pabna-1; he was Jamaat's Parliamentary Party leader until 1994.[24] During the 1996 elections, he lost to the candidates of both the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), an ally of Jamaat, and the Awami League in his constituency. Professor Abu Sayed of the Awami League gained his seat.

In 1971, Nizami was a chief of the infamous Al-Badr militia.[25] Along with the Pakistan Army, this militia abducted and massacred 989 Bengali intellectuals including professors, journalists, litterateurs, doctors and pro-Bangladesh activists in general.[26][27]

Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami[edit]

Nizami took over as the leader of Jamaat from Ghulam Azam in 2001.[28] In the same year, representing his party as part of a four-party alliance including BNP, Nizami won a seat in Parliament in Pabna-1, receiving 57.68% of the votes.[29][30] From 2001 to 2003, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, then as the Minister of Industry from 2003 to 2006.

Nizami was defeated in the December 2008 general election as a candidate of the Four-Party Alliance, losing his seat for Pabna-1 to Md. Shamsul Haque of the Awami League. Nizami received 45.6% of the votes. The Awami League took two-thirds of the seats in Parliament.

Controversies[edit]

Allegations of corruption[edit]

In May 2008, the Anti-corruption Commission of Bangladesh indicted Nizami in the GATCO Corruption case, in which he along with several other politicians were alleged to have illegally granted a container-depot contract to the local firm GATCO.[31] A warrant was issued to arrest Nizami along with 12 others on 15 May 2008.

Nizami was charged with conspiring with 12 other politicians to award the contract to GATCO although the company did not meet the conditions of the tender. The prosecution alleged that the deal with GATCO caused a total loss of more than 100 million Bangladeshi Taka to the Government.[32] Nizami denied the charges and said they were politically motivated.[33] He was released after two months on bail.

Blasphemy charges[edit]

In a public speech on 17 March 2010, the Dhaka Jamaat chief, Rafiqul Islam, compared Nizami's life to that of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, persisting in the face of persecution. On 21 March, the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation sued Rafiqul, Nizami and other Jamaat members "for hurting Islamic sentiments of the masses by comparing Nizami with the Prophet".[34]

Nizami, along with three other senior Jamaat leaders, was arrested on charges on 29 March 2010.[35] He secured bail the next day and appealed for dismissal of the case on 14 February 2011. The High Court adjourned the case for four months in March 2011.[35]

Smuggling charges[edit]

On 4 May 2011, Nizami was arrested on allegations of smuggling arms to Assamese insurgents in India in 2004.[36] His bail petition on 7 September 2011 was denied.[37]

On 30 January 2014, Nizami and 13 co-conspirators were sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of smuggling arms.[38]

International Crimes Tribunal[edit]

Main article: International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)
GonoJagoron Moncho is demanding death penalty of Nizami on 4 May 2016.

In 2009, the Awami League-led Bangladesh government established a tribunal in Bangladesh to investigate those suspected of committing atrocities during Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Nizami and eight other leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were charged with war crimes by the prosecution, as were two leaders of the Bangladesh National Party. Opposition parties and human rights groups alleged political interference in the trial, given that all the accused were leading opposition politicians.[39] Nizami was the last high-profile suspect to be tried for 1971 war crimes; the court delayed his verdict in June 2014 because of the state of his health.[17] On 29 October 2014, it was announced that Nizami had been sentenced to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.[9]

Death[edit]

On 11 May 2016, Nizami was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail, just days after the nation's highest court dismissed his final appeal to overturn the death sentence for atrocities committed during the country's 1971 war. He was hanged just before midnight (1800 GMT) after he refused to seek mercy from the President of Bangladesh. He was executed between 11:50 pm and 12:01 am midnight.[40] He was buried at his family’s home in northern Bangladesh.[41]

Reaction[edit]

 Pakistan:Pakistan's foreign office said in statement that "Pakistan is deeply saddened over the hanging of the emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Bangladesh, Mr Motiur Rahman Nizami, for the alleged crimes committed before December 1971.[42]

 Turkey:Turkey condemned execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami[43] and withdrew Turkish Ambassador from Bangladesh.[44]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Dr. Shafiqur Rahman urges all to be united against all anti-Islam conspiracies".
  2. ↑ "Mohammad Nakibur Rahman".
  3. ↑ "Mohammad Rahman, Ph.D".
  4. ↑ Mohammad Nakibur Rahman is a professor at the University of North Carolina Pembroke
  5. ↑ "Interview with Nizami's son Nakibur Rehman on his father's execution". YouTube.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Mohiuddin Faruq (5 May 2016). "Noose tightens on Nizami for war crimes as Bangladesh Jamaat chief loses last legal battle". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami for 1971 war crimes to protect Pakistan". bdnews24.com. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  8. ↑ Karlekar, Hiranmay (2005). Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan?. Sage. p. 152. ISBN 978-0761934011.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami sentenced to death". BBC News. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "EU supports war crime trial, wants fairness". The Daily Star. UNB. 28 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Adams, Brad (18 May 2011). "Letter to the Bangladesh Prime Minister regarding the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act". Human Rights Watch.
  12. ↑ Ullah, Ansar Ahmed (3 February 2022). "Vote of trust for war trial". The Daily Star.
  13. ↑ Haq, M. Zahurul (2011). M.N. Schmitt; Louise Arimatsu; T. McCormack (eds.). Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law - 2010 (1st ed.). Springer. p. 463. ISBN 978-9067048101.
  14. ↑ "Bangladesh: Stop Harassment of Defense at War Tribunal". Human Rights Watch. 2 November 2011.
  15. ↑ Karim, Bianca; Tirza Theunissen (2011). Dinah Shelton (ed.). International Law and Domestic Legal Systems: Incorporation, Transformation, and persuasion. Oxford University Press. p. 114. ISBN 978-0199694907.
  16. ↑ Ghafour, Abdul (31 October 2012). "International community urged to stop 'summary executions' in Bangladesh". Arab News.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Bangladesh war crimes: verdict on Jamaat-e- Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami deferred", DNA India, 24 June 2014
  18. ↑ "Bangladesh Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami to hang". BBC News. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  19. ↑ "Nizami executed". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  20. ↑ "Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami for 1971 war crimes". bdnews24.com. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  21. ↑ Schleifer, S. Abdallah (ed.). The Muslim 500: The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims, 2013/14 (PDF). Amman: Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. p. 145. ISBN 978-9957-428-37-2. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  22. ↑ S Abdallah Schleifer. "The Muslim 500 : The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims" (PDF). The Muslim 500. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Explain what is 'Hanadar Bahini'". The Daily Star. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  24. ↑ Biography, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
  25. ↑ "War crimes charges against pro-Pakistan militia commander Nizami who headed Bangladesh Jamaat". bdnews24.com. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  26. ↑ Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary; Wasim Bin Habib; Mahbubur Rahman Khan (29 October 2014). "Operated like Gestapo". The Daily Star. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  27. ↑ "Al-Badr's onus on Nizami". Dhaka Tribune. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  28. ↑ "Prof. Ghulam Azam Retires", Islamic Voice, December 2006.
  29. ↑ "Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics". Vote Monitor Networks. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2016. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  30. ↑ "Statistical Report: 8th Parliament Election" (PDF). Bangladesh Election Commission. p. 90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  31. ↑ "Bangladesh orders arrest of Islamist party chief", Reuters, 15 May 2008.
  32. ↑ "12 'fugitives' face arrest order". The Independent. Dhaka. 16 May 2008. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  33. ↑ "Bangladeshi religious leader held". BBC News. 19 May 2022.
  34. ↑ "Nizami, Mojaheed, Saydee arrested". The Daliy Star. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "Proceeding against Nizami, Mojaheed put off". bdnews24.com. 27 March 2022.
  36. ↑ "Nizami quizzed in Ctg arms haul cases". bdnews24.com. 7 May 2022.
  37. ↑ "10-Truck arms case: Nizami denied bail". bdnews24.com. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  38. ↑ "Bangladesh court sentences JI chief to death", The Express Tribune, 30 January 2014
  39. ↑ "Bangladesh War-Crime Tribunal Bogs Down". The Wall Street Journal. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  40. ↑ "Bangladesh executes top Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman over '1971 war crimes'". Dawn. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  41. ↑ "Bangladesh hangs top Islamist leader". 10 May 2022.
  42. ↑ "Pakistan condemns BD JI chief's execution". Dawn. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  43. ↑ "Turkey condemns execution of Bangladesh's Islamist party head - ASIA". Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  44. ↑ "Turkey withdraws Bangladesh ambassador after Jamaat-e-Islami leader Nizami's execution". India Today. Retrieved 17 May 2022.

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Ghulam Azam 		Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh
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