Mir Quasem Ali

Background

Mir Quasem Ali was born to Mir Tayeb Ali and Rabeya Begum. He was born in Munsidangi Sutalori in Manikganj on December 31, 1952.

Career

He joined the Islami Chhatra Sangha in 1967 while studying in Chittagong Collegiate School. Quasem was the third most powerful man of the First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Badr force which collaborated with Pakistan occupation forces and carried out crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation war of

Mir Quasem Ali is a director of Islami Bank. He is the chairman of the Diganta Media Corporation, which owns Diganta television He is the chairman of Keari Limited, Association of Multipurpose Welfare Agencies of and Agro Industrial Trust, director of marketing of Ibn Sina Pharmaceutical Industries, member secretary of Fouad First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Khateeb Charity Foundation.

He is part of management in Industrialists and men Welfare Foundation, Allama Iqbal Sangsad, Islamic University of Chittagong, Darul Ihsan University, Centre for Strategy and Peace Studies.

Mir Quasem was a freshman Physics student of Chittagong College in 1971. He was the president of Chittagong Chhatra Sangha’s unit.He was elected a to the Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha"s provincial working council on November 6.

He was also general secretary of East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha. First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Badr was a paramilitary force composed of Jamaat e Islami"s then student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha to support Pakistan army and crackdown on pro liberation groups.Al-Badr branch of Chittagong seized Mohamaya Bhaban building at Andrrkilla.

They renamed it "Dalim Hotel" and used it as an interrogation and detention centre.

Mukti Bahini members "Jasim", Tuntu Senator and Ranjit Das were killed at this place. Witnesses testified at the trial that guards at hotel Dalim would announce the arrival of Quasem with "Mr Quasem has come. Mr Commander has come."

After independence Quasem fled to Saudi Arabia.

Sheikh Mujib banned Jamaat-e-Islami along with all religious parties.

He return to after the assassination of Shiekh Mujib. Ziaur Rahman legalized jamaat and allowed Quasem to return to Politics.

He became the founding president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the Jamaat"s student front, on February 6, 1977. The organisation is the spiritual successor to Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha.

10 out of 14 charges were proved against Quasem in the trial at International Crimes Tribunal and he was awarded death sentence for two of the charges including murder and kidnapping.

After the announcement of the verdict of the trial the lawyers from the defense said that justice had not been done on Quasem and he did not get proper judgment. Gonojagoron Moncho supported the verdict and expressed satisfaction. They pledged an appeal to High court.

Some critics of the current i Government said that Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of the country used the trials to target her political enemies.

He filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of.

Achievements

• He is the founder of Ibn Sina Trust and director of the non-governmental organization Rabita al-Alam al-Islami.

Politics

He is known as a key financier of the political party Jamaat-e-Islami, which was instrumental to block the independence of Quasem"s political Party Jamaat-e-Islami called for a nationwide three days strike as a protest of the verdict.

Membership

Freedom fighters Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Syed Maryland Emran testified at Quasem"s trial that the prison was used to torture suspected members of Mukti Bahini.