Mass protests erupted across Bangladesh after Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam was acquitted of 1971 war crimes by the Supreme Court. His release after nearly 13 years sparked violent clashes, raising concerns over justice, political unrest, and the future of war crimes accountability in the South Asian nation.
Massive protests and clashes have erupted in Bangladesh following the Supreme Court’s controversial decision to acquit Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, who had been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the country’s 1971 Liberation War. After spending nearly 13 years in prison, Azharul Islam walked free on Wednesday, triggering nationwide outrage, especially among secular and left-leaning groups.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh’s apex court overturned the death sentence earlier handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), sparking fury in a country still grappling with the legacy of its bloody war of independence. The acquittal is the first of its kind since the fall of the Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, amid a violent uprising.
ATM Azharul Islam had been behind bars since his arrest in August 2012 at his Dhaka residence on charges of mass murder, abduction, torture, and arson committed during the 1971 war. He was convicted in December 2014 on five of nine charges and sentenced to death. Reports from that period claimed that Azharul orchestrated mass killings and atrocities in the Rangpur region, where over a thousand civilians were allegedly massacred.
Despite the severity of the charges and the weight of evidence presented by the prosecution, the Supreme Court accepted a review petition filed after the full verdict was published in March 2020. The review led to a formal leave to appeal granted on February 26, 2025. Following a series of hearings, the apex court acquitted Azharul on all counts on May 27, 2025.
As news of his acquittal spread, Jamaat-e-Islami supporters celebrated outside the prison gates. Azharul was welcomed by party leaders and activists and was later seen attending a rally at the Shahbagh intersection — a location symbolic for its association with the Shahbagh Movement, which demanded capital punishment for war criminals.
Meanwhile, in Rajshahi University, tensions escalated into violence on Tuesday night when left-leaning student activists organized a torch procession to protest the acquittal. Members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, allegedly attacked the marchers, leading to a violent confrontation that left at least 10 people injured.
Rakib Hasan, President of the RU Chhatra Union, accused Shibir activists of orchestrating a surprise attack under the banner of the Anti-Shahbagh Alliance. “We were attacked three times during the procession. Around 200 Shibir activists suddenly attacked our group of just a dozen. Four of us suffered serious injuries,” Hasan said.
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Fuad Ratul, convener of the Socialist Student Front, condemned the violence: “Almost everyone in our torch procession was injured. Four of our leaders bear visible injury marks. We strongly protest this attack and the verdict that provoked it.”
The decision to acquit Azharul is being widely perceived as a reversal of the post-2010 war crimes accountability movement, which had resulted in several top Jamaat leaders being executed. Critics argue that this verdict could open the floodgates for similar appeals by other convicts, potentially eroding the justice served to victims of the 1971 war.
Local and international human rights groups have yet to issue formal statements, but political analysts suggest this verdict could reignite deep-seated political and ideological divisions in Bangladesh. The development also adds fuel to the ongoing debate about the future of war crimes tribunals, transitional justice, and the role of Islamist parties in the nation’s politics.
As the country braces for further unrest, it remains unclear how the current administration will respond to the public outrage and whether more such acquittals will follow in the future.
