The verdict was upheld in 2019, but following a fresh appeal filed on February 27, 2025, the bench led by Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed acquitted him.
Shishir Monir, Islam’s lawyer, told reporters that his client was fortunate to be alivepointing out that the “appellate division failed to review the evidence in other cases for crimes against humanity.” Monir added, “He got justice because he is alive,” reported AFP.The verdict deepens the divide within Bangladesh
The ruling has been denounced by the Awami League party, which called the acquittal a “national disgrace” and a “deep betrayal” of the country’s liberation struggle and its martyrs, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Azharul Islam, a top commander of Al-Badr during the 1971 Liberation War, was convicted for the brutal murder of over 1,500 innocent Bengalis, including acts of mass rape, looting, and collaborating directly with the Pakistani military to crush the independence movement,” the statement read.
“Today, he walks free,” it added, further condemning the decision of the court as a “miscarriage of justice“. The party accused the judiciary of failing to uphold the values of freedom and accountability.
The statement also alleged that while media focus remains on “overhyped narratives” of the interim government adviser Muhammad Yunus, “the real enemies of the nation — the war criminals who bathed in the blood of our people — are being quietly forgiven, washed clean, and welcomed back into society.”
Jamaat leaders celebrate, and offer a general apology
The supporters of the Jammat-e-Islami party have welcomed the court’s decision. “They (the hanged leaders) were the victims of judicial killings. If they were alive today, they could have led the country in the right direction,” party leader Shafiqur Rahman told reporters, as per AFP.
“We seek your pardon, if we have done anything wrong,” Rahman added.
Ever since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 following student-led protests against her government, Bangladesh has witnessed a lack of stability in terms of governance. With the country’s army chief pressurising Yunus to conduct elections by the end of this year, the release of Islam could pose a fresh matter of political tension.
