Detained war crimes accused and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Maulana AKM Yusuf died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Sunday.
The senior supervisor of Dhaka Central Jail Farman Ali told reporters that Yusuf died of cardiac arrest at the prison cell of BSMMU hospital.
“He (Yusuf) breathed his last soon after he was admitted at BSMMU at about 11:30am,” he added.His lawyer Tajul Islam confirmed the death news of Yusuf saying that the Jamaat leader was suffering from heart diseases and old-age complications.
He was 87. Yusuf, who hailed from Bagerhat, left behind three sons and two daughters to mourn his death.
Sources said, AKM Yusuf, the senior nayebe ameer of Jamaat, was rushed to BSMMU from Kashimpur Jail as he fell sick in the morning.
Yusuf talked to the people of prison cell after he was taken to the hospital and requested them to inform his relatives about him, sources added.
AKM Mahbub, a son of Yusuf, said his father died after he was taken to the hospital.
Abdul Wahab, son-in-law of Yusuf, said if the ICT allows the body of Yusuf would be taken to his Dhamondi residence and buried over there after the namaz-e-janaja.
He thought that his father-in-law did not get proper treatment in the hospital.
However, ABDUL Majid Bhuiyan, a director of the BSMMU, denied the allegation saying that they ensured whatever the treatment was necessary for Yusuf after he was taken to the hospital.
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on August 1 last year indicted the Jamaat leader on 13 war crimes charges, including killing, genocide and arson in 1971.
The first war crimes tribunal ordered Yusuf’s detention on May 12 and sent him to jail. The prosecution submitted charges at the ICT registrar’s office on May 5.
Yusuf`s case was shifted to the ICT-2 on July 1 after the prosecution applied to the tribunal registrar pleading for the transfer on Jun 23.
A probe panel of the prosecution filed the report on April 22 accusing Yusuf of involvement in crimes in 1971.
The tribunal considered 13 out of 15 charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War as proposed by the prosecution on May 8 last.
Yusuf, the alleged founder of the notorious Razakar outfit during the 1971 Liberation War, faced charges, including genocide, killing, loot, arson, deportation of people and religious conversion.
According to the prosecution, AKM Yusuf, a member of the Malek cabinet in occupied Bangladesh, a rubber-stamp government backed by the Pakistan junta, had formed for the first time in Khulna in 1971 the vigilante group Razakar with the members of Jamaat-e-Islami, which acted as an auxiliary force of the Pakistan occupation army.
Yusuf had also acted as the chairman of the Peace Committee (Collaborator) in Bagerhat, Satkhira and Khulna districts during the Liberation War.
On February 5, the tribunal set February 12 for prosecution summing-up arguments in the case.
AKM Yusuf, who was known as the founder of infamous Peace Committees and Razakar force in the greater Khulna region, had also acted as acting ameer of Jamaat.
On August 1, 2013, the ICT-2 indicted Yusuf for his involvement in crimes against humanity he had committed during the Liberation War in 1971.
Yusuf had also acted as the chairman of the Peace Committee (Collaborator) in Bagerhat, Satkhira and Khulna districts during the Liberation War.
The Jamaat leader was accused of killing about 700 people by formation of razakar force.
The defense layers however denied the allegations claiming those false and baseless. In his statement, Maulana Yusuf also claimed him innocent.
On February 5, the tribunal set February 12 for prosecution summing-up arguments in the case.
Shishir Monir, another lawyer of Yusuf said they have applied to the ICT-2 for handing over the body of Jamaat leader since it was a normal death.
Yusuf was given life term in prison under collaborator law after the independence but got relief from the punishment after cancellation of the law.
Being directed by the ICT, law enforcers arrested Yusuf from his Dhamondi residence on May 12 lat year.
Meanwhile, the ICT-2 comprising Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Shahinul Islam asked the Inspector General (Prison) to take measure for postmortem of Yusuf in accordance with jail code and find out the reason behind his death. – Staff Reporter
