War crimes evidence found against 8 suspects

Investigators of the International Crimes Tribunal claimed that they have found evidence of five incidents of war crimes against Jatiya Party lawmaker from Mymensingh MA Hannan, his son and six others during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

The investigation agency found their Involvement in arson, looting, abduction, confinement, torture, and killing committed between April 21 and December 10 in Mymensingh in 1971, Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the probe agency briefed reporters at their Dhanmondi office in Dhaka today.

Most of the eight accused are involved in Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami politics, the coordinator said adding that they had tortured people at three camps set up at Mymensingh district rest house, East Pakistan Agriculture University (now Bangladesh Agriculture University) and the JP lawmaker’s house.

Co-coordinator Sanaul Huq, who attended the briefing, said they will submit the report and other documents to the prosecution office later in the day.

According to the investigators, JP lawmaker Hannan, who was the general secretary of Mymensingh district Peace Committee, led and directed his associates to commit war crimes.

Hannan is the lawmaker from Trishal (Mymensingh-7 constituency) and presidium member of JP while the other suspects are Hannan’s son Rafique Sajjad, 62, Khandakar Golam Sabbir Ahmed, 69, Mizanur Rahman Mintu, 63, Hormuj Ali, 73, Mohammad Abdus Sattar, 64, Mohammad Fakruzzaman, 61, and Khandakar Golam Rabbani, 63.

Of the eight, Sattar, Fakruzzaman and Rabbani are fugitives, while the rest including Hannan are now behind bars.

Now 80, Hannan is the second incumbent lawmaker arrested in connection with war crimes committed during the war.

Currently, Jatiya Party is the main opposition in parliament and three of its lawmakers are members of the cabinet of the Awami League-led government.