Abul Kalam Azad

Abul Kalam Azad (born 5 March 1947), also known by the nickname Bacchu Razakar, is a former Bangladeshi politician of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, televangelist and convicted war criminal of the Bangladeshi War of Independence.

He was the first of nine prominent Jamaat-e-Islami members accused of war crimes by the International Crimes Tribunal-2 of Bangladesh to be convicted for crimes against humanity, including murder and rape. On 21 January 2013, Azad was sentenced to death by hanging for his crimes.

Early life Abul Kalam Azad was born on 5 March 1947, the son of an impoverished farmer, Abdus Salam Mia, of Barakhardia village under Saltha Police Station of Faridpur District. After attending a Qawmi madrasa, he was a student at Rajendra College in Faridpur.

Televangelism He anchored a TV show called Apnar Jiggasa (আপনার জিজ্ঞাসা), or Your Questions in Bangladesh, NTV for several years before the trial. His defence counsel calls these allegations false. He is believed to have fled to India

Azad was indicted on eight counts for murder, rape and genocide. Investigators alleged that they had identified 14 people murdered by Bachchu: three were women he had raped and nine were other abducted civilians. Testimony was offered by 22 prosecution witnesses, including friends and families of the victims.

In January 2013, his trial was the first to be completed; he was convicted of war crimes, on six of eight counts, including murder of unarmed civilians and rape committed during the war.