Mobarak charged with war crimes

The prosecution yesterday submitted formal war crimes charges against Mobarak Hossain, who was the organising secretary of a union unit of Awami League in Akhaura for 16 years.
Prosecutor Sahidur Rahman told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that Mobarak was involved in mass killing, murder, abduction, torture and confinement of people in Brahmanbaria and Akhaura during the Liberation War.
The tribunal fixed March 11 to decide whether it would accept the charges.
The tribunal fixed the date after the prosecutor informed the tribunal that he had submitted the formal charges to the registrar office of the tribunal in the morning.
The tribunal yesterday also extended Mobarak's bail until March 11. Mobarak appeared before the tribunal yesterday. He has been on bail since July 16 last year.
Investigation officer of the case Shyamol Chowdhury told The Daily Star that Mobarak was a member of the Peace Committee of Akhaura in Brahmanbaria.
He said in the investigation they found evidence supporting allegations of his involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity.
Mobarak later became a Razakar commander in Brahmanbaria, Shyamol said, adding that the charges against Mobarak were killing of 33 people at Tanmandail and Jangail of Akhaura; abduction, torture and killing of Shaheed Ashu Ranjan Dev and Shaheed Abdul Khalek; abduction, torture of two people of Shyampur village and the killing of one of the two; and the torture of a person in Kharampur of Brahmanbaria.
Shyamol said Mobarak was the commander of two Razakar camps, Anandamoye-Kalibari Camp and Suhilpur Union Parishad Camp, during the war.
He said Abdul Khalek, father of Khodeja Begum, was a pro-liberation Ansar member and he was abducted when he was on his way to see his sick grandparents.
Khalek was tortured at Suhilpur Union Parishad Razakar Camp before Mobarak shot him dead at Bakailghat beside the Titas river.
He said Mobarak's name was on the list of Razakars kept at the deputy commissioner officer of Brahmanbaria.
On February 12, the Tribunal-1 asked the prosecution to submit formal charges against Mobarak yesterday.
Khodeja Begum had filed a case with Brahmanbaria court in 2009, which was later transferred to Tribunal-1.