In a development that has triggered political and security concerns in the region, at least three former convicts, including two accused in anti-India terror cases, have won seats in Bangladesh’s latest parliamentary elections. Among them are Lutfozzaman Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu, both leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who were earlier sentenced to death for their alleged roles in terror plots and arms smuggling linked to insurgent groups targeting India. Babar, a former state minister for home, was convicted in cases related to the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack and a major arms haul allegedly meant for militant groups operating in India’s Northeast, while Pintu was found guilty for facilitating extremist networks with cross-border links. The third winner, ATM Azharul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami, had earlier been sentenced for war crimes dating back to the 1971 Liberation War before being acquitted. Their return to Parliament follows court orders that overturned or stayed their convictions, enabling them to contest the polls. The election results, which saw the BNP and its allies make significant gains, have drawn close attention from regional observers, with analysts warning that the entry of figures once convicted in serious terror-related cases could have implications for Bangladesh’s internal politics as well as its security cooperation with neighbouring countries.
- Log in to post comments
