Verdict any day

International Crimes Tribunal-1 will deliver a verdict any day in a case filed against eight Jamalpur “Al-Badr men” for crimes they allegedly committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

Yesterday the tribunal also decided to hold trial of fugitive war crimes accused Wajuddin along with another accused of Mymensingh for allegedly committing similar crimes.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque with members Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi yesterday kept the Jamalpur case waiting for verdict after both the prosecution and defence counsels completed giving closing arguments.

The accused are facing five charges including murder, abduction, torture, confinement and arson committed between April 22 and December 11.

Prosecutor Tureen Afroz prayed for capital punishment saying they have been able to prove all charges. One of the defence counsels, Syed Mizanur Rahman, said, “We want justice.”

Arrested on March 2 last year, SM Yousuf Ali and Shamsul Haque are now in jail and plead not guilty.

Ashraf Hossain is believed to have fled to India while Prof Sharif Ahammed, Abdul Mannan, Abdul Bari, Harun and Abul Hashem are on the run in Bangladesh, the tribunal's investigation agency said at a press conference last year.

BACKGROUND

According to the agency, Jamalpur and Sherpur were the birthplace of Al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army.

Ashraf, along with executed war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, and Kamran, all leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami's the then student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha, organised Al-Badr in greater Mymensingh.

Sharif, Mannan, Bari, Harun, and Hashem were also involved in Islami Chhatra Sangha and turned into Al-Badr members, the agency said.

Sharif was a director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd between 1987 and 2003 and executive and managing director of Bangladesh Publications Ltd, which owned the daily Sangram, between 1999 and 2013.

Shamsul, as a Jamaat candidate, ran for provincial assembly membership in the 1970's election from Jamalpur and Yusuf, also with Jamaat's ticket, vied for membership in the national assembly. Both were defeated.

Yusuf became a national assembly member through a “so-called” by-election in 1971, the agency said, adding that the duo patronised Al-Badr in Jamalpur.

On October 26 last year, the tribunal framed the five charges and the prosecution produced 25 witnesses, including the case's investigation officer, and some documentary evidence. The defence declined to produce any witness.

CHARGES

In the first charge, Shamsul and Yusuf were implicated for “facilitating and contributing” to abduction, torture, murder, plundering, arson and other inhuman acts committed in the then Jamalpur sub-division between April 22 and December 11.

According to the second, Ashraf, Sharif, Mannan, Bari and Harun were involved in abduction, confinement and torture of at least six men and killing three of them between July 7 and July 22.

The third charge says Ashraf, Sharif, Mannan, Bari, Hashem, Shamsul and Yusuf were involved in the abduction and murder of an Awami League leader and organiser of the Liberation War, Nurul Amin, on July 10.

In the fourth charge, Ashraf, Sharif, Mannan and Bari were indicted for confinement, torture, murder and other inhuman acts committed in a torture cell at Ashek Mahmud College's degree hostel between April 22 and December 11.

According to the fifth charge, Ashraf, Sharif, Mannan, Bari, Hashem, Shamsul and Yusuf were involved in similar offences committed at a PTI Hostel which was turned into a torture camp.

MYMENSINGH CASE

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque took the decision as Wajuddin did not respond to advertisements asking him to appear before the tribunal. Police submitted a report earlier terming him a fugitive.

The tribunal also appointed Gazi MH Tamim to represent Wajuddin and fixed July 24 for the charge hearing.

The prosecution on March 23 pressed five charges against Wajuddin, 70, and another accused Riaz Uddin Fakir, 65, now in jail, of Phulbaria upazila.

The five charges are over the abduction, torture and killing of three people of Kalairpar, Chaklauripara and Phulbaria municipality between August 22 and 25; killing of three people of Bidyananda and Betbari on August 27; a genocide in which eight Hindus were killed and three Hindu women raped in Hrisipara on November 5; a genocide in which at least 43 people of six villages were killed on November 3; and killing of three brothers of Bhalukjan on November 21.