ICT delivers verdict today

Verdict in the case over alleged crimes committed by four Noakhali men during the Liberation War in 1971 is scheduled to be delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 today.

The date was set yesterday, after more than a month of the completion of the trial, by the three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam.

The tribunal kept the verdict of the case in waiting for delivery on February 6, when the prosecution and the defence counsels completed placing their closing arguments.

All the accused -- Amir Ali, 70, Joynal Abedin, 73, Abul Kalam alias AKM Mansur, 67, and Abdul Kuddus, 84 -- are from Sudharam upazila in Noakhali. Of them, Abul Kalam is on the run while the others are in jail.

In their arguments last month, Prosecutor Zahid Imam had sought capital punishment for all the four accused.

Defence counsels -- Tariqul Islam, Gazi MH Tamim and Masud Rana -- however had sought acquittal of their clients.

On June 20, 2016, the tribunal framed three charges against the four men for their alleged involvement with the Razakar Bahini -- an auxiliary force of the Pakistan occupation forces -- and for killing at least 111 people in three incidents.

The prosecution on October 5 in 2015 pressed charges against five men, including the four accused, from Noakhali. One of them, Mohammad Yusuf, was not indicted as he later died of old age, said prosecutor Zahid Imam.

FIVE CHARGES FRAMED AGAINST FOUR NETRAKONA MEN

The same tribunal yesterday framed five charges against four Netrakona men for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

It also fixed April 18 to commence trial of the case by recording testimonies of prosecution witnesses.

The four were "involved" in murder of 22 people, raping two women, arson attacks and looting 15 houses in Durgapur and Kalmakanda areas in the district between May 10 and November 18 in 1971, according to the charges.

The accused are Khalilur Rahman, 72, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha, Razakar Bahini and subsequently Al-Badr Bahini; his brother Azizur Rahman, 65, Ashak Ali, 82, and Shahnewaz, 88, -- all Muslim League members later joining the Razakar Bahini -- of Durgapur upazila. Of them, Khalilur is on the run while the rest are in jail.