Report on Jabbar almost done
The agency designated for probing war crimes of 1971 has almost completed its investigation into the former Jatiya Party lawmaker Abdul Jabbar's alleged war crimes and could submit its report on Monday.
The agency, through the prosecution, would also seek an arrest warrant from the international crimes tribunal for the 82-year-old war crimes suspect of Pirojpur, Sanaul Huq, a senior member of the investigation agency told The Daily Star yesterday. “I have found evidence of his [Jabbar's] involvement in at least five crimes, including genocide,” Helal Uddin, the investigation officer of the case, told The Daily Star yesterday.
The agency will hand over the probe report and other documents, including the statements of witnesses, to the prosecution. A panel of lawyers of the prosecution would scrutinise the documents before pressing formal charges.
Upon getting allegations, the agency on May 19, 2013, started its investigation against twice lawmaker Jabbar, son of late Chaden Ali of Khetacira in Mathbaria upazila of Pirojpur.
Helal Uddin said Jabbar, as the chairman of Mathbaria Peace Committee, had “played a key role” in the formation of the Razakar Bhahini and had “led the force” in committing crimes in Mathbaria area during the nine-month-long Liberation War.
The Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini were two anti-liberation forces that had collaborated with the Pakistani army.
Besides a genocide that claimed the lives of 22 Hindus in Mathbaria, Jabbar was “involved” in killings, lootings, arsons and forcefully converting Hindus to Islam, said Helal Uddin, adding, “I have evidence of his involvement in these crimes.”
Helal Uddin said Jabbar was elected lawmaker from Mathbaria in 1986 and 1988 with Jatiya Party ticket but later he became inactive in politics. There has been no trace of him since 2009.
“Some locals said Jabbar fled to the USA but others claimed that he was still in Bangladesh,” said Helal Uddin. Declining to elaborate, he said they would hold a press conference on Monday where more information on Jabbar would be divulged.
The government formed two tribunals in 2010 and 2012 for trying war crimes accused and the tribunals have already delivered verdicts in nine cases. The courts are currently trying seven accused. The investigation agency is investigating war-crimes allegations against six others.
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