Tribunal accepts war crime charges against Hasan
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday accepted six charges on crimes against humanity in 1971 against fugitive Syed Md Hasan Ali after the prosecution submitted those before it.
The tribunal also ordered the registrar office to take necessary steps in publishing advertisements in national dailies asking Hasan to appear before the court. The tribunal issued warrant to arrest Hasan on April 3. The proceeding of the case was adjourned till September 14.
Prosecutor Abul Kalam Azad submitted the charges against Hasan on crimes against humanity which had occurred in Keshoreganj villages during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971.
The six charges include setting fire and looting seven houses of one Hasan Ahmed of Sachail village on April 27; involved in killing of one Tofazzal, abduction of two other people and setting fire to two houses of Konabhawal village on August 23 and involved in killing of 12 persons and torching of 10 houses in Shimulhati village on September 9.
Other charges are involved in killing of eight people and abduction of 10 others in Borgaon village on September 27; involved in abduction and later killing of Kamini Kumar Ghosh and Jibon Chakravarty and looting Ghosh's house in Araiura village on October 8 and involved in killing Rashid Ali Bepari and setting fire to 100 houses in Sachail village on December 11.
According to the formal charge, Hassan, 65, alleged commander of Tarail unit Razakar in Kishoreganj, set a camp of the auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army at Tarail Police Station on April 23, 1971.
The prosecution in its charges said that Hasan had been living in his Machihata village residence in Brahmanbaria before he went into hiding but he had been living in Tarail of Kishoreganj with his family members for many years, including during the liberation war. His father Syed Musleh Uddin was the vice-president of Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) for East Pakistan and the chairman of the Peace Committee in the then Kishoreganj sub-division in 1971. The PDP and Peace Committee had opposed the country's independence, it said.
Hasan who is not active in politics now was once involved with Nezam-e-Islami, another anti-liberation organisation, which was banned immediately after the independence of Bangladesh but resumed its activities during the regime of late president Ziaur Rahman.
AZHARUL'S CASE
Prosecutor Tapas Kanti Baul yesterday placed arguments on the torture cell set up in Rangpur Town Hall in the crimes against humanity case against Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam.
The three-member tribunal yesterday expressed discontent over "callousness" of the investigation agency as it observed that the agency could have produce more evidence to prove the charges.
As per the charges brought against him by the prosecution, Rangpur Town Hall was used as a torture centre for civilian by the Pakistani occupation army where Azharul used to go and facilitated the army.
In his arguments, prosecutor Tapas told that a rape victim who was tortured at the Town Hall testified before the tribunal accusing Azharul for being involved in abduction, torture and detention which are "enough" to establish the charges.
The proceeding of the case was adjourned till today.
Azharul, facing six charges for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide, was produced before the tribunal.
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