ICT decides to try Edris in absentia

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday decided to hold trial of fugitive war crimes accused Edris Ali Sarder alias Gazi Edris in absentia along with Sulaiman Mollah, who is now in jail, for their alleged involvement in crimes committed in Shariatpur during the 1971 Liberation War.

The tribunal took the decision as the alleged Razakar did not appear before it even after publication of newspaper advertisements asking them to do so. Earlier, law enforcers had failed to apprehend Edris.

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It also appointed Gazi MH Tamim as the state defence counsel for Edris and fixed April 3 for hearing the charges.

The prosecution on November 16 last year pressed four charges against Sulaiman, 84, of Kashipur Muslimpara, and Edris, 67, from Mahmudpur of Shariatpur sadar  upazila. The tribunal took cognisance of the charges on December 22 last year.

According to the prosecution, they were involved in killing, mass killing, rape, looting, arson and forced deportation.

Sulaiman was a Muslim League leader and joined Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam to contest the 1970's election, only to be defeated and return to Muslim League. In 1971, he formed Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini to assist the Pakistani occupation army, according to the investigators.

Edris was also a leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.