Kishoreganj's Syed Hussain to be tried in absentia

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday decided to try fugitive war crimes accused Syed Mohammad Hussain alias Hossain in absentia, along with detained accused Moslem Pradhan, for allegedly committing crimes in Kishoreganj during the Liberation War.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque took the decision as the accused did not appear before it even after publication of advertisements in two national dailies. The law enforcers have failed to arrest him in the meantime.

It also fixed April 26 for hearing the charges.

On December 3 last year, the prosecution pressed six specific charges against the two alleged Razakars -- Mohammad Hussain, 64, also younger brother of convicted war criminal Syed Hasan Ali, and Muhammad Moslem Pradhan, 66, both from Kishoreganj's Nikli upazila.

They were charged with “war crimes” and violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, and this was the first time anyone faced these charges since the start of the trial, said the prosecution.

Meanwhile, the tribunal allowed the investigation officer of a case to interrogate two war crimes accused from Moulvibazar at the safe home of the tribunal's investigation agency.

Abdul Aziz alias Habul, 63, of Pakhiala village of Barlekha upazila, and Abdul Mannan, 64, of Taradaram village of the same upazila, will be interrogated on April 3 and 4 respectively.

They were arrested on March 1.

A third accused, Abdul Matin, is now on the run, investigation officer Shahjahan Kabir told The Daily Star.