7 charges accepted against 5 'Razakars' of Kishoreganj

International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday accepted seven war crimes charges against five alleged Razakars of Kishoreganj's Karimganj upazila, issuing fresh arrest warrants against four who are absconding, and asked the inspector general of police to submit a report on their whereabouts by May 31.

Gazi Abdul Mannan, 88, was the alleged commander of Karimganj Razakar camp, while Nasiruddin Ahmed, 62, his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed, 60, who is now in jail, Hafiz Uddin, 66, and Azharul Islam, 60, were alleged Razakar members. 

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The prosecution on May 10 pressed the charges, including mass killing, murder, confinement, torture, arson and looting committed in the upazila between August 25 and November 13 during the 1971 Liberation War. 

THREE "RAZAKARS" SENT TO JAIL 
Meanwhile, the three-member tribunal led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim sent three war crimes suspects to jail after law enforcers produced them.

Police arrested Billal Hossain, Akram Hossain and Ozehar Moral in Jessore yesterday, Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman told The Daily Star.

The tribunal on Tuesday issued arrest warrants against 11, including the three, alleged members of the Razakar Bahini, the Pakistani occupation army's auxiliary force, in Jessore during the Liberation War. 

The suspects were allegedly involved in rape and killings in Jessore's Keshabpur upazila.

The others, Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Majibur Rahman, Abdul Aziz Sardar, Aziz Sarder, Kazi Oahidul Islam, Lutfar Moral, Abdul Khaleq Moral and Mushiar Rahman, are on the run, said Rezia. 

According to the investigator, the suspects were "associates of Sakhawat Hossain", a former Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP lawmaker from Jessore now in jail over a war crimes case.

The prosecution said while investigating the war crimes allegations against Sakhawat in Jessore, the investigation officer found involvement of the 11 in several crimes.

The tribunal had earlier directed the prosecution to submit formal charges or a progress report into the investigation against Sakhawat on May 17.