2 held for '71 killing on police remand

Two accused in a case for '71 killings being taken to jail after a Rajshahi court placed them on a two-day remand yesterday. Photo: Banglar Chokh

Daud Hossain and Nur-e-Anwar, arrested on Friday, in a case filed in connection with killing of 15 people during the Liberation War in 1971, were yesterday taken on a two-day remand.
Police produced the two in Rajshahi Judicial Magistrate's Court, seeking a five-day remand. But the court granted two days' remand for them.
Police arrested Daud and Anwar at their homes in Bamundighi Berabari village under Mohanpur upazila at dawn. Daud is an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami while Anwar belongs to BNP.
During the day-long interrogation by Mohanpur police on Friday, Daud and Anwar admitted that they were 'Razakars' during the Liberation War, but denied their involvement in the killing of 15 people.
Terming the statements of the accused false, relatives of the 15 martyrs and villagers demanded speedy trial of the 'killers'. “I joined Razakar Bahini under the leadership of Daud. I took part in different operations after Pakistani soldiers trained us at Rajshahi Madrasa field”, a police source quoted Anwar as saying.
Talking to The Daily Star, Rajshahi Superintendent of Police M Shahabuddin Khan said police arrested the two after primary investigations found the allegations against them to be true.
“They are accused of murder under Section 302/34 of Bangladesh Penal Code. They committed the crime during the Liberation War", said the district police chief replying to a question.
Merajul Islam Sheikh, son of Basir Uddin Sheikh, one of the 15 martyrs of Birsoil in Shahmakhdum, lodged the case with a Rajshahi court against 19 people on June 22 last year. Police recorded the case on September 13.
The complainant said the accused picked up 15 people, who were helping the freedom fighters at Bogpara Mugroil of Mohonpur on November 30, 1971, and killed them the following day.