Who is Delwar Hossain Sayeedi?
Delwar Hossain Sayeedi is a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, politician, and former member of the Parliament. He was born on August 2, 1941, in Pirojpur, Bangladesh. Sayeedi was associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, an Islamic political party.
He gained prominence as a religious preacher and leader within the Jamaat-e-Islami, advocating for Islamic principles and values in Bangladesh. He also played a role in social and educational activities through the organization.
However, Sayeedi became a controversial figure due to his alleged involvement in various crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. He was accused of committing war crimes, including genocide, rape, and murder, during the conflict. These accusations led to his arrest and trial by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh.
In 2013, Sayeedi was found guilty of several charges, including murder, torture, and rape, and was sentenced to death. His trial and conviction were met with both domestic and international criticism, with some alleging that the legal proceedings were flawed and politically motivated.
The case of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi remains a significant and sensitive topic in Bangladesh, reflecting the complex historical and political landscape of the country. It’s important to note that my knowledge is based on information available up until September 2021, and there may have been further developments since that time.
Mawlana Delwar Hossain Saidi
Death of Delawar Hossain Saeedee
Delawar Hossain Sayeedi, who was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity, has died. He died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) today at 8:40 PM (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun).
Professor of Cardiology Department of BSMMU SM Mustafa Zaman confirmed the news of Saeedi’s death at first light.
Masood Saidi, son of Delawar Hossain Saidi, told Prothom Alo tonight that his father was fine in the morning. But suddenly his health deteriorated and he died at 8.40 pm. He was 84 years old.
Hussain Saeedee of Delawar was the Naib Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami. He was known as a wazkara or religious speaker as well as Jamaat politics.
Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Saidi was taken to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur last Sunday afternoon after suffering from heart disease in Kashimpur Central Jail. Later that night, he was taken to the capital’s BSMMU for advanced treatment.
Delwar Hossain Sayeedi History
Delawar Hossain Sayeedi was arrested from his Shaheen Bagh residence in Dhaka on June 29, 2010 in a case of hurting religious sentiments. He has been in jail ever since. After his arrest, he faced trial in the 1971 crime against humanity case.
On 28 February 2013, the International Criminal Tribunal for Delaware sentenced Hossain Saeedee to death for crimes against humanity including murder, rape, looting, torture and forced conversion. In response to that verdict, Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir workers allegedly carried out violence in different districts of the country. Many people were killed in the violence at that time.
Hossain Saeedi of Delaware appealed against the verdict of the International Criminal Tribunal. On September 17, 2014, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court gave a majority verdict on his appeal. The verdict commuted the sentence to life imprisonment instead of death.
The Appellate Division’s judgment was also appealed by Delaware Hossain Sayeedi. But there was no change in the Appellate Division’s verdict of life imprisonment in that appeal. Since then he was lodged in Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur.
Jamaat-e-Islami issued a statement expressing grief over the death of Hussain Saeedee of Delawar.
According to Jamaat, Delawar Hossain Saeedi joined Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in 1979. He became a Rukon (full member of the party) of Jamaat in 1982. In 1989, he was elected Shura member of Jamaat Majlis. In 1996, he was elected as a member of the executive council of Jamaat. Saeedee has held the post of Jamaat’s Naib Amir since 2009.
Delawar Hossain Saeedi was elected Member of Parliament twice consecutively as a candidate of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami from Pirojpur-1 seat in 1996 and 2001 National Parliament elections.
A central leader of the Jamaat said that a son of Delaware Hossain Saeedee lives abroad. After he returns home, his funeral and burial will be arranged.
Delawar Hossain Saidi (2 February 1940 – 14 August 2023) was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, orator and politician and former Member of Parliament; He was sentenced to life in prison in 1971 for being a member of the Razakar Force and aiding and abetting inhumane activities such as killings by being associated with the Pakistani army during the Bangladesh War of Independence.
He is the Naibe-emir or Vice President of the Bangladeshi political party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He won the 1996 general election for the first time and won the 2001 general election and was elected as a member of the Bangladesh National Parliament for the second time.
In 2011, Saeedee was charged with war crimes. 20 counts of crimes against humanity such as genocide, rape, torture, looting and forced conversion of minority Hindus to Islam during the 1971 liberation war were brought against him.
On 28 February 2013, the International Criminal Tribunal found him guilty on eight counts and sentenced him to death on two of the 20 counts. After his death sentence was announced, Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliates started mass protests and violence at home and abroad. After this judgment, the state party and the accused appealed to the Supreme Court. On 17 September 2014, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh observed the appeal verdict and commuted the death sentence imposed by the International Criminal Tribunal to Saeedi and sentenced him to life in prison.
Several international observers condemned the verdict and suggested the charges were politically motivated and a case of mistaken identity. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticized his trial verdict.
Early life
Delawar Hossain Saidi was born on February 2, 1940 in Indurkani village of Pirojpur district. His father Yusuf Shikdar was a very ordinary householder of the village. As a child, he was known as Shikdar of Delwar to the local people. He received his early religious education in a local madrasah established by his father.
He was admitted to Charchina Aliya Madrasah in 1962 and later shifted to Khulna Aliya Madrasa. After receiving religious education, Saeedi started a business in a local village. He became known as a Muslim scholar or Maulana. He was 30 years old during the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence. He was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal in Pirojpur in 1971 for inhumane acts and opposing the independence of Bangladesh. However, according to his son Masood Saidi, he was not in Pirojpur in 1971 and was living in Jessore since 1969.
Saeedee is proficient in Bengali, Urdu, Arabic and Punjabi languages and also has proficiency in English and French.
Independence war of Bangladesh
In 1971, the war of independence started in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). On March 25, 1971, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight on unarmed Bengalis, killing thousands of innocent Bangladeshis in a night known as genocide. Delwar Hussain Saeedee opposed the independence of Bangladesh. He is accused of actively supporting the Pakistan Army at that time. Various paramilitary forces were formed to help the Pakistan Army at that time, as an active member of the paramilitary Razakar, Saeedee is accused of killing, looting, torturing and forcibly converting minority Hindus to Islam.
Bangladesh gained independence in 1971. He was locally known as ‘Deilya Razakar’ during the Liberation War. However, his lawyer at the International Criminal Tribunal said on his behalf that 1971 Delwar Hossain Shikder alias ‘Deilya Razakar’ is not a person; The infamous ‘Deilya Razakar’ was arrested and killed by the freedom fighters after the war of independence. Earlier, in another case of war crimes, another leader of his party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Abdul Quader Molla, said the same thing, saying that Quader Molla and ‘Kasai Quader’ are not the same person. It should be noted that Quader Molla was hanged by the court’s verdict.
Political life
In the early 1980s, Saeedee began conducting Islamic waj-mahfils and tafsirs across the country and gained nationwide popularity for his eloquent delivery; It was at this time that he decided to enter politics. He was elected as one of the leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He participated in the 1996 National Parliament election and was elected as a member of the Bangladesh National Parliament for the first time. Later, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Nationalist Party formed an electoral alliance in the 2001 parliamentary elections, and he was re-elected as a member of parliament in this election.
Criticism of the 2001 war in Afghanistan
Saeedee was highly critical of the 2001 US and allied operations to topple the Taliban government in Afghanistan and eliminate al Qaeda. He opposed US and UK interference in the government of an independent Muslim state. Al Qaeda is blamed for the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
In 2004, the United States Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) added Saeedee to their no-fly list, meaning that citizens of this list cannot enter the US soil from any country, due to Saeedee’s extremist views towards Western countries.
Foreign travel debate
In July 2006, after approval by the appropriate UK authorities, Saeedi traveled to the UK to address rallies held in London and Luton. Many British MPs considered his trip controversial. The Times published a report on some of the leaked emails in which an adviser, Eric Taylor, said that “Saeedee’s previous trips to the UK have also been disrupted by the aggressive behavior of his followers.”
On July 13, 2006, a British journalist released a documentary entitled “Who Speaks for Muslims? (Who speaks for Muslim?)” Saeedi is also included here and referred to as an extremist ideologue. Saidi has a large following in the British Bangladeshi community. He was invited to speak at the East London Mosque on 14 July 2006; Later, Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council in Britain supported this invitation.
On 24 July 2009, immigration officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport stopped Saeedi from traveling abroad. Saeedi filed a writ petition in the High Court on July 27 challenging the government’s restriction on his foreign travel. The Attorney General argued in favor of the ban before the Chambers judge, arguing that Saeedee had been against Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 and that if Saeedee was not barred from traveling abroad, he could campaign abroad against the government’s move to prosecute war criminals.
Accused of promoting religious hatred
The British media requested the Home Office of the United Kingdom to cancel Saeedee’s visa, accusing him of spreading hatred and making provocative statements against Hindus and Ahmadis of Bangladesh.
Arrested
On June 29 of that year, the police arrested Delwar Hossain Sayeedi from his house in Shaheen Bagh of the capital following the case filed by Bangladesh Tariqat Federation Secretary General Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri on March 21, 2010, alleging that “Islam has hurt the religious beliefs and sentiments of people belonging to the religion of Islam”.[43]
War crimes and other charges
Delaware Hossain Sayedi is alleged to have been involved in the killing of then Subdivisional Police Officer Faizur Rahman.[44]
An inquiry report published in 1994 accused Saidi of being involved in the brutal killings of Al Badr forces. A man named Manik Pashari filed a case on August 12, 2009 in Pirojpur against Saeedi and four others. Manik Pashari alleged that under the leadership of Delaware Hussain Sayeedi, their house was set on fire and the caretaker of the house was killed.
Another case was filed in his name in the Pirojpur Judicial Magistrate Court. This case was filed by a freedom fighter named Mohiuddin Alam Howladar.
Delawar Hussain Saeedi claimed that the court should not control fatwas (religious precepts), but fatwas should control the courts.[50]
He gave anti-Bangladesh speech under the cover of Tablighi activities.
In 1971, he threatened local journalists of various leading newspapers in Pirojpur for writing about Saeedee’s role in the Liberation War.
Death sentence for crimes against humanity
Eight charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, kidnapping, torture, rape, arson, looting, conversion, were specifically proven against him by the International Criminal Tribunal. He was sentenced to death for two charges. On February 28, 2013, on Thursday, the three-member International Criminal Tribunal-1 headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir passed the verdict. Out of the 20 charges against Saeedi, charges 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16, 19 were proved. Out of this, he was ordered to be hanged for the maximum punishment of the charges No. 8 and 10. For this, the charges No. 6, 7, 11, 14, 16 and 19 were proved but the tribunal did not announce any sentence. However, he was acquitted of 12 other charges brought against him as they were not proved.
Souces: we translate only and published.