Ex-MP Shakhawat, 8 'cohorts' indicted

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday framed five charges against former BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain and eight others from Jessore over their alleged involvement in war crimes committed in the district during the Liberation War.

They were allegedly involved in killing two persons, raping one and torturing two others in Keshabpur of Jessore. Almost all the incidents took place in the Bangla month of Ashwin (between mid-September and mid-October) in 1971, according to the charges.

The three-member tribunal also fixed January 31 to begin trial of the nine.

All accused are from Keshobpur upazila in Jessore. Apart from Shakhawat, now involved in Jatiya Party politics, the others are: Billal Hossain Biswas and Ibrahim Hossain of Nehalpur, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman and Kazi Ohidul Islam of Shekhpur, Aziz Sardar of Mominpur, Aziz Sardar of Boga, Lutfar Morol of Porchakra and Abdul Khaleq Morol of Altapol.

Of them, Shakhawat, Billal and Lutfar Morol are in jail, while the others are on the run.

The tribunal asked the prosecution to supply the defence with all documents they intend to rely upon. It also directed the defence counsels to submit their documents and a list of defence witnesses, if any, on or before the date.

On July 26, the prosecution pressed five charges against 12 war crimes accused but the tribunal on September 8 accepted charges against the nine and cleared the other three.

According to the prosecution, Shakhawat was the commander of Razakar force at Chingri Bazar camp in Jessore  while the rest were members of the force.

CHARGES

According to the first charge, on Shakhawat's directive, Ibrahim and the two Aziz along with 10-12 Razakars picked up a woman of Boga, who was a source for freedom fighters, on Ashwin 27 and detained her at Chingri Bazar camp for three days. Shakhawat allegedly tortured and raped the woman there.

One day in the middle of Bangla month Sraban, Shakhawat along with 25 to 30 Razakars convened a meeting where Sakhawat delivered an inciting speech to kill supporters and activists of Awami League and pro-liberation persons.

On Ashwin 28, Shakhawat accompanied by eight other accused and several other Razakars caught local Awami League leader Chadtullo Gazi and kept him detained at the Razakar camp for four days. He was later shot dead on the bank of the Kapatakkha River, the charge added.

The third charge says, on Ashwin 25, around 10-12 Razakars, including Mujibur, Ibrahim and Khaleque, on Shakhawat's instruction, picked up Nur Uddin Morol around 7:00am and brutally tortured him at the Razakar camp. He, however, was later released after giving bond.  

According to the fourth charge, on a late Ashwin night, Razakars of Chingri Bazar camp picked up a source for freedom fighter Malek Sardar from his house and tortured the victim at a torture camp. He was later shot dead by Shakhawat around 8:00am on Ashwin 28 near the ferry ghat of Chingri Bazar and his body was thrown into the Kapatakkha.

At the beginning of Ashwin, Razakars, upon receiving Shakhawat's instruction, went to capture freedom fighter Miron Sheikh around 10:00am. When Miron tried to escape, Razakars shot him and took him to Chingri Bazar camp. As a result of brutal torture, the victim became crippled and Razakars threw him into Kapatakkha thinking him dead, the last charge reads.