Charges of genocide, rape, torture pressed

International Crimes Tribunal-1 fixed November 25 to decide whether to frame the four specific charges involving genocide, killings, rape, torture and confinement, the prosecution pressed through the registrar's office yesterday against two Shariatpur sadar upazila men for crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

Receiving the formal charges and other documents, it also fixed the date to pass order on a bail petition moved by Gazi MH Tamim, representing Sulaiman Mollah, and opposed by prosecutor Hrishikesh Saha yesterday mainly over health and old age grounds.

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Sulaiman, 84, is from Kashipur Muslimpara. Edris Ali Sarder alias Gazi Edris, 67, from Mahmudpur (Pachim Kashabhog), is on the run.

The tribunal's investigation agency on October 29 submitted a report and other documents  finding "sufficient evidence".

It says Sulaiman was a Muslim League leader who in 1971 formed Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini in Shariatpur.

Edris was a leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and joined Razakar Bahini in 1971, it added.

CHARGES

The first charge says Sulaiman and Edris, along with 100 to 150 Pakistani army men, attacked Angaria, Kashabhog, and Modhyapara in Palang upazila (now Sariatpur sadar) on May 22, killed around 200 Hindus and one Abdus Samad Sikder, and looted and burnt all houses.

The next day, the accused along with 100 Pakistani army men attacked Malopara and Rudrakar villages and shot dead a priest before looting and burning all the houses, says the second charge.

They forcibly took around 20 women and 10 to 15 men from the villages to a Pakistani army camp in Madaripur where the women were raped for three days before being released and the men shot dead, the second charge adds.

According to the third charge, the duo along with eight to 10 Pakistani army men attacked and looted the home of one Shailendra Krishna Paul in the upazila in June and killed two Hindu guards.

The fourth charge says, the accused and the Pakistani army intimidated around 1,500 people into leaving Bangladesh between March 25 and December 10.