War crimes trial: Mobarak verdict any day
A tribunal in Dhaka today concluded hearing arguments in a war crimes case against former Razakar commander Mobarak Hossain and will deliver its verdict any day.
The 64-year-old accused, now behind the bars, also served as the organising secretary of a union parishad unit of Awami League for 16 years till 2012.
While serving as a Jamaat member during the Liberation War of 1971, he was involved in murder, abduction, confinement, torture and loot, according to the charges pressed against him.
On completion of the arguments by both the sides today, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 kept Mobarak's verdict CAV (Curia Advisari Vult), meaning it will be delivered any day.
Mobarak, as a commander of Razakar force, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani army, substantially “participated in”, “contributed to” and “facilitated” the commission of crimes in different parts of Brahmanbaria in 1971.
The charges against Mobarak are killing of 33 unarmed civilians at Tanmandayl in Akhaura; capture of a Hindu temple, renaming Anandamoyee Kalibari as Razakar Manzil and torturing Ashu Ranjan to death; abduction and murder of Abdul Khaleque of Satian village, abduction and torture of Khadem Hossain Khan; and abduction of Abdul Malek of Kharampur and killing of Mohammad Siraj.
On April 23 last year, the tribunal indicted Mobarak, who was organising secretary of Mugra union unit of AL in Akhaura upazila of Brahmanbaria for 16 years till 2012, for alleged war crimes.
Khodeja Begum, daughter of Abdul Khalek, a pro-liberation Ansar member, filed a case with a Brahmanbaria court in 2009. The case was later transferred to the Tribunal-1.
An investigation agency, designated to probe the war crimes, on January 23 last year completed probe into Mobarak’s alleged involvement in crimes against humanity.
The prosecution submitted formal charges against him on February 25, 2013 and the court took the charges into cognisance on March 12 of the same year.
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