Evidence found against 2 suspects
Investigators have found evidence against two siblings of their “involvement” in crimes against humanity committed in Kishoreganj during the Liberation War in 1971.
The suspects are Nasir Uddin Ahmed, 62, a former army officer, and Shamsuddin Ahmed, 60, a lawyer of a Kishoreganj court. They are sons of late Razzaque Munshi of Karimganj Madhyapara under Karimganj Police Station.
An investigation agency designated to probe the war crimes of 1971 has finalised its report with five war crimes charges against the duo, Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the agency, told at a press briefing at their Dhanmondi office in Dhaka yesterday.
The agency would submit the report to the prosecution as the duo's “involvement” in crimes like mass killing, murder, loot, confinement and torture “has been preliminarily proved” by the evidence collected during investigation, Hannan added.
He said they would hand over the report, statements of witnesses and other documents to the prosecution today [Wednesday]. After that, the prosecution would scrutinise the documents to press formal charges before the tribunal to initiate trial.
Sanaul Huq, a senior member of the agency, said they would ask the prosecution to take necessary legal steps to have the duo arrested.
Nasir, who went into forced retirement in 2002 as army captain, escaped immediately after the investigation had started in June last year, while Shamsuddin was practicing law in the Kishoreganj District Judge's Court, said Sanaul.
On their alleged role in 1971, he said the duo had joined the Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani army, and jointly committed crimes in Karimganj.
After the war they had gone into hiding and later pursued their studies changing name and age, he said, adding, after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975, they were rehabilitated.
The agency had cited 40 people as witnesses in the case, he added.
The agency has meanwhile once again sought amendment to the corresponding section of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 so that it can arrest an accused without a warrant.
The agency in April this year sent a proposal to that end to the law ministry as it found the accused were going into hiding when an investigation was initiated against them.
Sanaul yesterday said, “We are yet to get any response [in this regard].”
Four people have so far been convicted in their absence, while two others are being tried in absentia.
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