Professor Ghulam Azam, founder of Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh died in a prison hospital last Thursday. His family and lawyer who had been campaigning for the unwell 91-year-old to be allowed home are outraged at the conditions in which he died.
Azam’s funeral took place on Saturday, in Dhaka, with hundreds of thousands of mourners paying their respects. Separate memorials were held in cities across the world, with prominent scholars including Yusuf al-Qaradawi leading prayers for the figurehead.
A major figure both inside and outside Bangladesh, Azam was the leader of one of the most prominent Islamic parties internationally. He began his rise to prominence at a young age as an active and inspirational figure in political and religious circles. He was at the head of Jamaat-e-Islami from 1969 to 2000, founding the Bangladeshi wing of the influential party. Born and educated in Dhaka, he read political science at university and held a prominent voice across the Muslim world as a religious thinker and author, writing over 100 works.