4 of Mymensingh, Jamalpur accused arrested

Police yesterday arrested four Mymensingh and Jamalpur war crimes accused hours after International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued a warrant for eight over their alleged involvement in crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

Rezaul Haque alias Akkas Moulvi was arrested in his Purba Chechia residence in Mymensingh's Muktagachha upazila, Muktagachha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abu Mohammad Fazlul Karim told The Daily Star's district correspondent.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Rezaul is the superintendent of Chechua Dakhil Madrasa and a former president of Jatiya Party's Muktagachha unit.

Yunus Ali, his brother AKM Yusuf Alam and Omar Faruk are from Chandpur village in Jamalpur's Harinakundu upazila, police and investigators said.

Yunus and Omar were arrested in their village residences while Bagerhat police, in association with Rapid Action Battalion, arrested Yusuf from Dublar Char in Bagerhat, said Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the tribunal's investigation agency.

Law enforcers are trying to arrest the rest, he added.

The two-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam issued the warrant following a prosecution's petition. The tribunal's chairman, Justice Anwarul Haque, was on leave.

Prosecutor Mohammad Ali, who moved the petition, told The Daily Star that the eight were "involved" with the Razakar and Al-Badr Bahini, two auxiliary forces of the Pakistani occupation army.

The case's investigating officer has already found their "involvement" in crimes including genocide and murders, he said.

The accused were intimidating possible witnesses and may go into hiding at any time, said Mohammad, adding, "That is why we prayed for their arrest for proper and effective investigation."

Hannan said the accused were involved in crimes committed in Muktagachha and Harinakundu upazilas.

The tribunal asked the prosecution to submit either a progress report on investigations or the investigation report on February 4, 2016.

It sought the same on February 24, 2016 in the case over the alleged involvement of Satkhira Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Khaleq Mandol in crimes committed during the Liberation War.

Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman had sought three more months to complete investigations while submitting a progress report.

Following a prosecution's petition, Khaleq, also a former Jamaat lawmaker from Satkhira, was shown arrested in the case on August 25.