Charges pressed against five
The prosecution yesterday pressed charges against five Gaibandha men for allegedly committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Prosecutors Mukhlesur Rahman Badal and Tapos Kanti Baul submitted the formal charges with the probe report, testimonies of the witnesses, and other documents to the International Crimes Tribunal-1 through its registrar office.
The accused are Abdul Jabbar Mondal, 86; Jachijar Rahman alias Khoka, 64; Abdul Wahed Mondal, 62; Montaz Alia Bepari alias Momtaz, 68, and Ranju Miah, 59.
All the accused are from Gaibandha Sadar upazila. Of them, Ranju is now in jail while the rest are on the run.
After completing the investigation on December 21 last year, the tribunal's investigation agency said to have found evidence over the alleged involvement of six Gaibandha men, including the five, in crimes committed in 1971.
They were “involved” in four incidents of killings, abduction, confinement, torture, arson and looting, the agency said.
But one accused Ajgar Hossain Khan, 66, died on December 23 last year, Prosecutor Sabina Yesmin Khan Munni told The Daily Star yesterday. “So the prosecution did not press charge against him,” she said.
According to the investigation agency, all the accused were involved with Jamaat-e-Islami during the Liberation War. Jabbar and Jachijar were arrested in 1972 on charges of war time offences but did not face trial, the agency said.
The charges involved killing of one Hindu man, torture of two Hindu women and forcing of around 400 Hindus of the Sadar upazila's Sahapara union to leave the country; killing of nine people at Nandina village and looting of around 50 houses; killing of five people at Doulatpur village; and killing of seven people in Sahapara union.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has shown six Khulna men arrested in a case filed in connection with the crimes committed in 1971.
The tribunal passed the order following a petition moved by Prosecutor Mukhlesur Rahman Badal.
The accused are Ashraf Sheikh, 79; Amzad Hossain Hawlader, 74; Mozahar Ali Sheikh, 64; Atiar Sheikh, 69; Motasim Billah, 79, and Kamal Uddin Goldar, 65 of Batiaghata upazila in Khulna.
All the accused were arrested on March 5 in connection with a criminal case and now in Khulna jail, Prosecutor Sabina Yesmin said.
Investigation of the case began on November 15, 2015, and the investigation officer has already found involvement of the total eight persons, who were involved with Razakar Bahini, the prosecutor said.
Of the eight, the tribunal issued arrest warrant against two on Wednesday but police could not arrest them yet, she said.
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