Six Gaibandha suspects to be tried
With none of six Gaibandha men, including a former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker, responding to advertisements seeking their appearance, International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday decided to try them in absentia over crimes they allegedly committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Moreover, defence counsels completed cross-examining the first prosecution witness, Abdul Aziz Sikder, in a similar case bringing four charges against two Shariatpur men, Sulaiman Mollah, now in jail and pleading not guilty, and Edris Ali Sarder, now on the run. The tribunal fixed June 8 to continue proceedings.
In the Gaibandha case, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque appointed Gazi MH Tamim to represent the accused and fixed June 16 to start hearing the three charges the prosecution pressed on March 20.
Earlier, police submitted a report mentioning that the six, of Sundarganj upazila and involved with Jamaat, were at large, something the tribunal's investigation agency said to have occurred after the probe began.
The charges include killing of one Hindu man of Moujamali village in Gaibandha sadar upazila and looting his residence; killing of one Bangladesh Chhatra League leader; and killing of 13 chairmen and members of five union councils in Sundarganj upazila.
The lawmaker, Abu Saleh Md Abdul Aziz Mia, 65, was also the commander of a local Razakar Bahini. The rest are Ruhul Amin alias Manju, 61, Abdul Latif, 61, Abu Muslim Md Ali, 59, Najmul Huda, 60, and Abdur Rahim Mia, 62.
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