Bangladesh: 2 Jamaat leaders held for 1971 Dhaka massacre

The Bangladesh police on Tuesday arrested two senior leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami for their role in a massacre during the country's Liberation War in 1971.

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla were arrested at the gate of the Supreme Court in Dhaka for the massacre in Mirpuri, Dhaka, in 1971.

Senior Jamaat-e-Islami leaders including Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid have been named as the co-accused in the case.

Amir Hossain Mollah, who fought in the Liberation war, had lodged a complaint against the Jamaat leaders, saying they were involved in the Mirpuri massacre.

Mollah said 21 of his relatives were among the 345 people killed in the incident.

But Kamaruzzaman claimed that the government was acting in a fascist manner and targeting leaders of the Islamic organisation.

The lawyer for the Jamaat leaders told media-persons that he will move a contempt petition against the police.