Evidence found against 3 Mymensingh men

The International Crimes Tribunal's investigation agency yesterday said to have found evidence of three Mymensingh men's alleged involvement in crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

Accused Amjad Ali, 88, is the son of Fajar Ali Akanda of Palashihata (or Kishoreganj) village; Riaz Uddin Fakir, 65, son of Nayeb Ali Fakir of Bhalukjan village and Wajuddin, 70, son of Joynal Abedin of Bidyananda village under Phulbaria upazila in Mymensingh.

The agency, however, will suggest that the prosecution presses charges against only Riaz and Wajuddin as Amjad died while investigations were ongoing, the agency's coordinator, Abdul Hannan Khan, told journalists at its Dhanmondi office.

Involved with Jamaat-e-Islami's politics, Riaz is now in jail and Wajuddin on the run, he said.

Hannan said there were at least five charges of the trio “committing” crimes like abduction, torture, killing, rape and genocide between August 22 and November 21. The agency citied 36 people as prosecution witnesses, he added.

The charges are over the abduction, torture and killing of three people of Kalairpar, Chaklauripara and Phulibaria municipality between August 22 and 25; killings of three people of Bidyananda and Betbari on August 27; a genocide killing eight Hindus and raping of three Hindu women in Risipara on November 5; a genocide killing 43 people of six villages on November 3; and killing of three brothers of Bhalukjan on November 21.

Meanwhile, Ataur Rahman, the case's investigating officer, handed over the probe report and other documents to the prosecution.

Hrishikesh Saha, the case's conducting prosecutor, said they would scrutinise the documents and, if those are found satisfactory, they would submit formal charges for initiating the trial.

On Pakistani prisoners of war, Hannan said a committee was working to gather information about those who were allegedly involved in war crimes.

The committee has sent letters to many government offices seeking information and documents and was getting a good response, he added.

Hannan said, with a formal tribunal already present, there was no scope of symbolic trial of these prisoners.

TRIBUNAL

Meanwhile, International Crimes Tribunal-1 directed the prosecution to submit formal charges, if they have any, on March 20 against six Gaibandha men, including a former Jamaat lawmaker, allegedly involved in crimes committed during the Liberation War.

The accused are Abu Saleh Md Abdul Aziz Mia, 65, a former Jamaat lawmaker from Gaibandha; Ruhul Amin alias Manju, 61; Abdul Latif, 61; Abu Muslim Md Ali, 59; Najmul Huda, 60; and Abdur Rahim Mia, 62; of Gaibandha's Sundarganj upazila.

The investigation agency completed the probe on December 27 and said to have found evidence over their “involvement” in war crimes.

Yesterday, Prosecutor Hrishikesh Saha said they have received the probe report and other documents and needed two months to scrutinise those and submit the formal charges.