Ex-JP MP, 8 others sued in Mymensingh, Habiganj

Five people, including a former lawmaker of Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad), have been sued for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in the district.

The accused are Anisur Rahman Manik, 71, former JP lawmaker from Trishal constituency (Mymensingh-7), his brothers Muklesur Rahman Mukul, 66, and Saidur Rahman Ratan, 63, of Dewpara; Shamsul Haque Fakir, 73, and his brother Sultan Ahmed Fakir, 66, of Riarta in Trishal upazila.

Md Hafiz Uddin, 60, the then Bangladesh Chhatra League activist, and son of late Nazar Uddin of Baroigaon in the upazila, filed the case with Cognizance Court No-3 yesterday noon.

According to JP sources, Manik was a member of parliament from Trishal in 1988.

The complainant alleged that the accused, all of whom were Muslim League men, committed crimes against humanity including killings, lootings and setting houses on fire during the Liberation War in 1971.

The accused also formed Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini to help the Occupation Pak Army in the area and committed crimes including killings, it was also alleged.

The accused led by Manik seized the house of freedom fighter Abdul Hamid Hamon, also an AL leader of Baroigaon and took him to the their camp and tortured him severely on September 10, 1971. After severe physical torture, Manik himself shot Hamon in the chest at point-blank, killing him on the spot, it was also alleged in the case.

The complainant also alleged converting many Hindus including Kiron Pandit and Dinesh Sir of Kustia Prothom Khanda village forcibly during the Liberation War.

They also killed several people including Narendra of the same village and buried them in a mass grave near the camp.

When freedom fighters launched severe attacks in the area in November, 1971, the anti-liberation forces fled to Trishal upazila headquarters.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Mitful Islam, the judge of the court, accepted the case and recorded the deposition of the complainant.

Advocate Pijush Kanti Sarker and advocate Moazzem Hossain Babul moved for the complainant.

Contacted, Saidur Rahman Ratan, one of the accused, claimed that the allegations brought against them is totally baseless, motivated fabricated to tarnish our social and personal image.

Ratan, elected chairman of local Kanihari Union Parishad for two times, also president of union BNP, said it is the move of the vested quarters to keep him away from the ensuing union parishad election.

Away in Habiganj, a case was filed against four people for their alleged involvement in war crimes in the district in 1971, reports our Moulvibazar correspondent.

Freedom fighter Md Elias Kamal filed the case with Habiganj Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon.

The accused are East Pakistan Nejame Islami Party leader Maolana Md Shafi Uddin, Md Jahid Mia, Md Tajul Islam alias Pokon Razakar, and Md Salek Mia.

Judge Md Kawsar Alam ordered sending the case to the chief coordinator of International Crimes Tribunal's investigation branch for probe.

According to the case statement, Shafi Uddin and his associates conducted raids in Manpur and Muriauk villages on October 30 and 31 and then killed the plaintiff's father and another freedom fighter.