Death penalty not the answer

The death sentence imposed against BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury by a court for committing crimes against humanity is not the way to bring justice to the many victims of the country's Liberation War, said Amnesty International.
“The many victims of horrific abuses during Bangladesh's independence war and their families have long deserved justice, but the death penalty is not the answer. One human rights abuse cannot make amends for another,” said Abbas Faiz, Bangladesh researcher at AI, in a press release on Tuesday.
“Bangladesh must overturn the death sentence against Chowdhury and all others. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment and can never be a way to deliver justice,” he observed.
A tribunal on Tuesday found Salauddin guilty of committing crimes against humanity, including genocide and torture in 1971.
“We urge the Bangladeshi government to ensure that Chowdhury's appeal complies with international law and standards relating to fair trials, and without recourse to the death penalty,” said the release.
It added: The Bangladeshi authorities must also impose a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolishing the death penalty.