AL MP, 13 others sued on war crime charges

Fourteen people including advocate Muslem Uddin, an Awami League (AL) lawmaker from Mymensingh-6 (Phulbaira) were sued here yesterday for their alleged involvement in war crimes during the War of Liberation in 1971.
Labour secretary of Phulbaria upazila AL and freedom fighter Jalal Uddin filed the case with Cognizance Court No-2.
The accused are -- advocate Muslem Uddin, MP, 76, Fayzal Bari, 61, Abdus Samad Master alias Tikka Khan, 75, Abdul Jabber, 60, Abdul Mandal, 80, Mofiz Uddin alias Mofi, 80, Reaz Uddin Fakir, 72, Abdul Jabber, 68, Mukshed Ali, 70, Amjad Ali Haji, 75, Ebadullah, 70, Mukshed Ali, 80, Wahed Ali Munshi, 80, and Sohrab Ali, 78. They all hail from different localities of Phulbaria upazila.
There are 14 witnesses in the case including ANM Nazrul Islam, ex-MLA from Phulbaria and principal Motiur Rahman, an AL lawmaker from Mymensingh Sadar and Md. Khondaker Adul Malek Shahidullah, an ex-MP from Muktagachha upazila here.
According to the allegation, the plaintiff and his two brothers took part in the liberation war in 1971. Muslem Uddin, then elected MPA, joined the Razakars (an anti-liberation force), and held many meetings with Razakar chief Abdul Hannan in greater Mymensingh.
In the case it was also alleged that Muslem supplied many secret documents of the freedom fighters in Phulbaria to the Pakistan occupation forces and helped them set the houses of AL leaders and freedom fighters on fire. The accused also outraged the modesty of several women.
The accused in collaboration with then Pakistan army looted the houses of the plaintiff and set those on fire on June 27 in 1971, it was also alleged.
They also looted and set on fire five houses of freedom fighters Abdur Razzaq, Abdus Salam and Abdul Mannan in Phulbaria.
The accused also killed many freedom fighters and people including Basu Chowdhury, freedom fighter Abdul Majid, Taleb Ali, Shekander Ali, Altali, Shahidullah Master and Sabed Ali in Phulbaria in 1971 and threw the bodies into the rivers.
The news of such incidents were published in different newspapers during the War of Liberation, the plaintiff said in his complaint.
In the case the accused were mentioned as the local collaborators of anti-liberation forces Al-Badar, Al-Shams, Razakar etc. The plaintiff also sought order from the court to issue warrant of arrest against the accused.
Accepting the case, magistrate Lutfur Rahman Shishir of Cognizance Court No-2, ordered the officer-in-Charge (OC) of Phulbaria police station to investigate the allegations against the accused including the AL lawmaker and to submit a report accordingly.
In Jhenidah, a case was filed on Tuesday against an alleged war criminal.
Freedom fighter Jumarat Hossain of Jugni village under Shailkupa upazila filed the case with Jhenidah Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court reports our Correspondent.
The judge of the court ordered the OC of Shailkupa police station to take necessary steps after investigation.
The accused is Nazmul, son of late Hasem Ali of Kodalia village in Sadar upazila.
According to the case, FF Jumarat was residing at the house of Madhu carpenter under Shailkupa on August, 31 in 1971.
Infamous Rajakar of the area Nazmul handed over Jumarat and his maternal uncle Madhu to Pakistan occupation forces at about 2:30pm on the day.
The Pak army beat up Jumarat and his uncle and threw them in Kumar river presuming them dead.
However Madhu died but Jumarat miraculously survived.