Verdict today in Subhan case
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 is set to deliver the verdict today in the case against Jamaat leader Abdus Subhan for allegedly committing genocide and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
The Jamaat nayeb-e-ameer has been accused of playing a key role in organising the anti-liberation elements in Pabna.
The prosecution claimed that they have been able to prove all the nine charges against the 79-year-old politician and sought death penalty for him. They also prayed for adequate compensation for the victims.
The most serious of the charges is killing of 300-400 people by the Pakistan army and its local collaborators allegedly under his leadership in several villages of Satbaria union under Sujanagar upazila on May 12, 1971.
Subhan's lawyers, however, said the allegations brought against their client were “totally false and baseless” and hoped the tribunal would acquit him of the charges.
The trial in the case had completed on December 4 last year. Yesterday, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed today for delivering the verdict. The other members of the court are Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam.
Two war crimes tribunals have so far delivered 15 verdicts, while the judgment in another case has been pending with the ICT-1.
Son of Sheikh Naimuddin and Nurani Begum of Tailakundi village in Sujanagar upazila of Pabna, Subhan was the general secretary of Peace Committee, a collaborating force of the Pakistan occupation army, in Pabna in 1971, according to the prosecution.
Later, he was made vice-president of the committee.
He was the founding ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami's Pabna unit and a Majlish-e-Sura member of the party's central unit during the war, said the prosecution.
Subhan was elected unopposed a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1971. He fled to Pakistan when the war was nearing its end. He rejoined politics after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
He was elected lawmaker from Jamaat in 1996 and 2001, according to a defence counsel.
Law enforcers arrested Subhan on September 20, 2012. After probing the allegations against him for 17 months, the war crimes investigation agency submitted its report to the prosecution on September 12, 2013.
Three days later, the prosecution submitted formal charges to the ICT-1. The court on December 31 last year framed nine charges against Subhan. Later, the case was transferred to ICT-2 for quick disposal.
The other charges brought against Subhan are: killing of five people and injuring three others at Juktitala village of Ishwardi on April 13; abduction and killing of three named people and several unnamed on April 17-18 in Ishwardi; killing of five people and looting and torching of several houses in Sahapur village in Ishwardi on May 2; abduction and torture of two people from Arankhola cattle market in Ishwardi on May 16; killings and torching of houses at Kulunia and Dogachhi villages in Pabna on May 11; abduction and killing of at least 18 villagers at Varara of Pabna in May; abduction and killing of two people of Dublia Bazar of Pabna in the first week of September; and abduction and killing of four people at Betbaria village in Ishwardi.
The prosecution produced 31 witnesses, including two investigating officers, and documents before the court to prove the charges. The defence did not produce any witnesses saying that they did not see any necessity to do so.
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