Formal charges to be brought on April 13

International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday fixed April 13 for submission of formal charges concerning eight alleged Jamalpur Al-Badr men's involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

In the war crimes case against Forkan Mallik, it directed Patuakhali's deputy commissioner to submit within one month of receiving its order the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) registration records of a prosecution witness to confirm his age.

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Meanwhile, in another case, the last prosecution witness exhibited before International Crimes Tribunal-1 a "list of martyr families" prepared by the Kishoreganj deputy commissioner where Syed Hasan Ali was identified as a "Razakar commander" involved in killing 11 persons of Kishoreganj in 1971.

The tribunal, granting the prosecution's prayer, fixed April 15 for submission of the investigation report in a war crimes case against five persons of Kishoreganj, of whom Shamsuddin Ahmed, 60, a lawyer, has been detained while the others are on the run.

JAMALPUR AL-BADR

Prosecutor Tapos Kanti Baul had sought from the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan with members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam three weeks to prepare charges against the eight.

Police arrested Shamsul Haque alias Badr Bhai, 75, and SM Yousuf Ali, 83 on March 2.

The investigators believe Ashraf Hossain, 64, fled to India while Prof Sharif Ahmed, 71, Abdul Mannan, 66, Abdul Bari, 62, Mohammad Harun, 58, and Abdul Hashem, 65, are hiding in Bangladesh.

The investigation agency provided the prosecution on March 25 the probe report and other documents, stating the eight were "involved" in 10 incidents including abduction, torture, confinement and killings between April 22 and December 11.

FORKAN MALLIK

The 13th witness, Abdul Hamid Mallik, during cross-examination, said his national ID card stated his birth date to be July 10, 1967.

However, testifying on Sunday, he stated to have failed in the SSC exam in 1974, meaning he must have taken at age seven a test usually meant for persons at least 15 years old, after registering from Subidkhali Rahman Ishaq Pilot High School. He said to have succeeded in 1985 taking it in private.

The court adjourned proceedings until April 6. Forkan, an alleged Razakar member of Mirzaganj, Patuakhali, denies the five charges.

SYED HASAN ALI

Hari Debnath, also the case's investigation officer, moreover testified and exhibited documents showing Hasan being accused in a 1972 case under the collaborators act.

Interviewing 52 persons, he had selected 38 to testify. Finally, 26, including himself, accused fugitive Hasan over six charges of crimes against humanity and genocide, committed in 1971.