An accused surrenders for first time

In an unprecedented instance, an accused in a war crimes case yesterday surrendered before the International Crimes Tribunal-1.

Mohammad Abdus Sattar, 64, of Jail Road in Mymensingh Sadar, surrendered before the tribunal around 10:30am and sought bail through his lawyer. The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque however rejected his bail petition and sent him to jail.

No accused had earlier surrendered before the tribunal in the history of Bangladesh war crimes trial that began in March 2010.

Earlier on October 1, 2015, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Sattar and seven others following a petition submitted by the prosecution. Police arrested five of them including Jatiya Party lawmaker MA Hannan and his son the same day.

Since then the other three accused were on the run.

On February 16, the tribunal directed its registrar's office to publish an advertisement in two national dailies asking the three fugitives to appear before it within two weeks.

Sattar's lawyer Mozammel Haque Bhuiyan claimed as soon as his client had learned about the case filed against him, he decided to surrender before the court.

The defence counsel in his bail petition said his client “was not involved in any offences stated in the formal charges submitted by the prosecution” and if he got bail, he would not misuse it.

But Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon vehemently opposed the bail prayer saying they had already pressed charges against the eight accused.

The prosecution on October 30 last year pressed six charges against the eight that included mass killings, killings, torture and looting committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

Motiur Rahman, investigation officer of the case, said Sattar was a member of Razakar force and a close aide of MA Hannan, general secretary of Mymensingh district Peace Committee.

Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud said the accused surrendered as he might have thought it would no longer be possible to avoid arrest.

Asked why the police could not arrest him in last one and a half years, Sultan Mahmud said, “In many cases the police cannot arrest the accused.”

As this correspondent asked Mozammel Haque about his client's whereabouts since October 31, 2015, the lawyer said, “I do not know. He approached me and I appeared on behalf of him at the tribunal.”

As many as 75 war crimes convicts and accused were on the run as of February 23 this year, according to the tribunal's investigation agency.