Six Gaibandha suspects charged with war crimes

International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday framed three charges against six persons of Gaibandha's Sundarganj upazila, including a former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker, for their alleged involvement in crimes including tortures and killings during the 1971 Liberation War.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque with members Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi fixed August 2 to start the trial with the prosecution's opening statement and recording of witnesses' depositions.

It also asked the prosecution to provide the defence documents it intends to use and the latter to submit its list of witnesses and documents, all by August 2.

Now on the run, the accused are Abu Saleh Md Abdul Aziz Mia, 65, a former Jamaat lawmaker and alleged commander of local Razakar Bahini; Ruhul Amin alias Manju, 61; Abdul Latif, 61; Abu Muslim Md Ali, 59; Najmul Huda, 60; and Abdur Rahim Mia, 62.

The prosecution pressed the charges on March 20 and the tribunal took those into cognisance on March 24.

The charges are over the killing of a Hindu man and looting of his house in Moujamali village in Gaibandha Sadar upazila and murder of a Chhatra League leader and 13 chairmen and members of five unions in Sundarganj.

The prosecution also says the accused had links with Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army. In yesterday's order, the tribunal said, “The formal charge and the statement of witnesses prima facie demonstrate that the accused persons enthusiastically sided with the policy and plan of the Pakistani occupation army and had allegedly carried out horrific activities of crimes against humanity…”

“It is settled that mere framing charge does not prove one's guilt,” it added.