Six of Gaibandha charged

The prosecution yesterday pressed three specific charges against six Gaibandha men, including a former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker, for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

They were involved with the Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani army, and in torture, killing, and genocide, Prosecutor Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon told The Daily Star.

Earlier in the day, the prosecution submitted the formal charges, statements of the witnesses and other documents to the International Crimes Tribunal-1. Then the three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque fixed March 24 to decide whether to accept the charges.

The accused are Abu Saleh Md Abdul Aziz Mia, 65, a former Jamaat lawmaker and alleged commander of a local Razakar Bahini; Ruhul Amin alias Manju, 61; Abdul Latif, 61; Abu Muslim Md Ali, 59; Najmul Huda, 60, and Abdur Rahim Mia, 62, all from Sundarganj upazila in the district.

The investigation agency on December 27 completed the investigation and said to have found the six's involvement. All of them are involved with Jamaat and in hiding now, said the agency.

The three charges are looting and killing of one Hindu man of Moujamali village in Gaibandha Sadar upazila, killing of one Chhatra League leader, and killing of 13 chairmen and members of five unions in Sundarganj.

NETRAKONA CASE

Meanwhile, the tribunal directed the prosecution to submit formal charges, if any, against seven Netrakona men on May 22, for their alleged wartime crimes.

The tribunal fixed the date after the prosecution prayed for two months' time to prepare the charges.

The accused are Sheikh Abdul Majid alias Majid Maulana, 66, Abdul Khaleque Talukder, 67, Kabir Khan, 70, Abdur Rahman, 70, Salam Begh, 68, Nuruddin alias Raddin, 70, and Ahmmad Ali, 78 of Purbadhala upazila in Netrakona.

Of them, Adur Rahman is now in jail while Ahmmad Ali died on October 28 last year. The rest are on the run. The investigation agency on March 16 said to have found evidence of involvement of the seven "Razakars" in seven incidents of crimes.

They were involved in killing eight people after abduction, looting three houses, torching eight houses, and raping a woman, the agency said, but recommended charging of six as Ahmmad died.

JESSORE CASE

A victim's son yesterday testified that former Jamaat and BNP lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain raped her mother for three days, keeping her confined to a Razakar camp in Jessore in 1971.

The 36-year-old witness, from Rejakathi village in Keshabpur upazila in the district, said three other accused of the case -- Ibrahim Hossain, Abdul Aziz Sardar, and Abdul Sardar (2) -- and several other Razakars abducted her mother in Bangla month Ashwin and took her to Chingra Razakar camp in Keshabpur.

The 12th prosecution witness said he learnt about the incident from his father, who testified earlier as the 10th witness.

The other accused are Billal Hossain Biswas, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Kazi Ohidul Islam, Lutfar Morol, and Abdul Khaleq Morol. The witness, however, did not name them in his testimony.

The nine face five charges. Of them, Shakhawat, Billal and Lutfar are now in jail and the rest absconding.