Verdict on Edris Ali of Shariatpur today

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver verdict today in a case filed against a Shariatpur man for allegedly committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the 1971 Liberation War.

Edris Ali Sarder alias Gazi Edris, 67, now on the run, is facing four charges.

After the completion of closing arguments in the case, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque kept the case waiting for verdict and yesterday it fixed today for delivering the judgment.

Prosecution sought capital punishment for Edris saying that they were able to prove all the charges while state-appointed defence counsel said the prosecution could not prove any of the charges and sought his acquittal.

On May 2, the tribunal framed four charges against Edris and another Sulaiman Mollah, 84, of Kashipur Muslimpara in the district. But Sulaiman died of old age complications at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on October 25.

According to the prosecution, Edris was a leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and joined Razakar Bahini.

Prosecution produced 13 witnesses to prove the charges but defence declined to produce any witness.

CHARGES

The first charge says Sulaiman and Edris, along with 100 to 150 Pakistani troops, attacked Angaria, Kashabhog, and Modhyapara in Palang upazila (now Shariatpur sadar) on May 22, killed 200 Hindus and one Abdus Samad Sikder, and looted and burnt all the houses.

The next day the accused, along with 100 Pakistani army men, attacked Malopara and Rudrakar villages and shot dead a priest before looting and burning all the houses, says the second charge.

They forcibly took around 20 women and 10 to 15 men from the villages to a Pakistani army camp in Madaripur, where the women were raped for three days before being released and the men shot dead, it adds.

According to the third charge, the duo along with eight to 10 Pakistani army men attacked and looted the home of one Shailendra Krishna Paul in June and killed two Hindu guards.

The fourth charge says, the accused and the Pakistani army intimidated around 1,500 people into leaving Bangladesh between March 25 and December 10.