Verdict in war crimes case today
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver today verdict in the case against fugitive BNP leader MA Zahid Hossain Khokon in connection with crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Faridpur during the Liberation War in 1971.
“Let the case be fixed tomorrow for the delivery of judgement,” said Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chairman of the three-member tribunal, yesterday.
Trial against the 70-year-old war crimes accused, who is assumed to have fled the country and been living in Sweden, has been held in absentia.
Khokon is allegedly involved in killing at least 50 people, injuring eight, raping two women, forcing religious conversion of nine and deportation of seven others at Nagarkanda in Faridpur between April 27 and July 17 in 1971.
The tribunal drew conclusion to the proceedings of the case on April 17 this year and Mokhlesur Rahman Badal, conducting prosecutor, sought capital punishment, as he said all 11 charges against the accused were “proved beyond any shadow of doubt”.
On the other side, state-appointed defence counsel Abdus Shukur Khan sought acquittal and argued that the prosecution had implicated Mayor of Nagarkanda “MA Zahid” in war crimes offences committed by some other “MA Zahid Hossain Khokon”.
An investigation agency completed probe against the war crimes accused on May 29 last year and submitted a probe report to the prosecution.
The prosecution on June 23, 2013 submitted formal charges to the tribunal. The court subsequently took the charges into cognisance on July 18 and framed charges against the accused on October 9 last year.
As many as 24 witnesses including investigation officer of the case Satya Ranjan Roy testified against Khokon with the prosecution producing their first witness on November 21.
The prosecution began placing their arguments on April 9 this year and after four days of hearing from both sides, the tribunal on April 17 kept the case waiting for verdict.
KHOKON'S PROFILE
Khokon took part in election campaign for a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate in 1970 and had got involved with the party before he joined BNP.
As the vice-president of Nagarkanda unit BNP, he took part in the municipality election in 2011 and became mayor but went into hiding after taking the oath.
The investigation officer said they had no concrete information on his whereabouts but believes the accused might be in Sweden with his son and daughter.
Khokon was allegedly a close associate of Abul Kalam Azad, a condemned war criminal from Faridpur.
Khokon, his elder brother Zafar, Azad and other anti-liberation people allegedly welcomed the Pakistan occupation army in Faridpur on April 21, 1971 and received arms from them.
Zafar and a number of Pakistani army men were killed in a battle at Chandhaat on May 29, 1971.
After Zafar's death, four Razakar groups, including that of Khokon and Azad, were involved in looting, arson and killing in many villages for three subsequent days.
CHARGES
1. Khokon along with other Razakars plundered six houses at Bongram village and abducted 19 people. Among the 19 detainees, 17 were tortured at Nagarkanda Police Station and released in exchange of Tk 10,000 each.
2. Between April 28 and May 6 in 1971, Khokon and his cohorts destroyed houses of Kanai Lal Mondol and Jibon Das of Jongurdi-Bagutia village and forcibly collected Tk 15,000 after threatening them with religious conversion.
3. Any day between May 16 and May 28, Razakars led by Khokon and his brother Zafar converted eight Hindus at Jongurdi-Bagutia village into Muslims. The victims later took shelter in India.
4. Led by Khokon on May 27, armed Razakars looted valuables from Hindus at Chandhat village. Khokon and his cohorts also raped two women.
5. He abetted Pakistani occupation army by showing them path to Kodalia village. They set fire to several houses and caught around 50-60 people from a nearby hideout. Nineteen people including women and children were shot dead by Khokon, his accomplices and the army.
6. Accompanied by the Pakistani army on May 30, the accused plundered and set fire to many houses at Ishwardi village. As people were fleeing for life, Khokon and others shot dead four and injured Fulmoti Begum.
7. The accused, accompanied by the Pakistani army, went to Digholia-Ghorarnara Beel of Kodalia village and burned to death three people. Khokon shot dead one Asiruddin Matubbar of Meherdia village and accompanied the army, who shot dead Safizuddin Matubbar.
8. Khokon along with Razakars and the Pakistani army on May 31 went to Goaldi village and shot dead two persons including a two-year-old baby.
9. He was involved in killing six people at Purapara village on May 31.
10. The war crimes accused accompanied by the Pakistani army and Razakars set fire to many houses at Bagat and Churichar villages on June 1. They shot dead around 15-20 people.
11. Khokon on any day between July 1 and July 17 shot and injured one Kanailal Mondol of Jonggurdi-Bagutia village.
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