War trial charges framed against 6 Netrokona men

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 today framed seven specific charges against six Netrokona men over alleged war crimes committed during the Liberation War of 1971.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque also fixed June 12 for beginning of the trial of the case with the opening statement of the prosecution.

The accused are: Sheikh Abdul Majid alias Majid Maulana, 66, Abdul Khaleque Talukder, 67, Kabir Khan, 70, Salam Begh, 68, and Nuruddin alias Raddin, 70, and Abdur Rahman, 70.

Of the six, only Abdur Rahman is now in jail while the rest are on the run.

The investigation agency of the tribunal on March 16 last year said to have found evidence of war-time crimes against seven Netrakona men.

The seven were ‘involved’ with Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, and abductions, torture, lootings, arsons, rape and murders in 1971, the agency said.

But, the prosecution May 22 last year pressed charges against six men as another accused Ahmmad Ali, 78, died in Dhaka Medical College Hospital on October 28, 2015 during investigation.

The charges brought against them are: killing three Hindu men including prominent physician Hem Bagchi in Purbadhala Rajpara, looting their houses on May 1971; abduction and torture of Abdul Goni of Barha village on July 25; abduction and killing of Abdul Khaleque Talukder of Barha, looting and torching of his house on August 21; abduction and killing of Mahir Uddin of Barha village on August 27; abduction of four people from different parts of Purbadhala upazila, killing two of them in between November 12 and 16; abduction and killing of Siraj Ali Mandal of Moudam village on November 20; and rape of a woman on November 25, 1971.