After conducting a hearing on the formal charges, the International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday fixed August 14 for passing order on whether to indict fugitive war crimes accused Mohammad Abdul Zabbar, an alleged Peace Committee chairman from Mothbaria, Pirojpur.
Prosecutor Rhishikesh Saha took part in the hearing on behalf of the prosecution while Mohammad Abul Hassan, state-appointed defence counsel, stood for Jabbar, a former Jatiya Party lawmaker.
The prosecution on May 11 submitted the formal charges against Jabbar, who had played a key role in forming the razakar force in Mothbaria. They brought five charges including crimes like murder, genocide, forced conversion and looting against the accused.
As per the formal charges, Jabbar was involved in the killing of more than 200 people, arson and loot in 557 houses and forcefully converted about 200 people. Most of the incident took place at Naligram, Tushkhali and Angulkata villages of Mothbaria.
Charge number four is related to crime of forceful conversion which the prosecution mentioned as genocide. The tribunal in its observation asked whether a single incident could be recognised as genocide or it needed continuous mental harassment after conversion. The prosecution could not place any satisfactory answer on the matter.
The incident has taken place on a day in the last week of May of 1971 when Jabbar along with his accomplices forcefully converted 200 Hindus into Muslim in Tushkhali.
As per another charge, the accused on October 6 of 1971 had detained 37 people of Angulkata and Mothbaria, and brutally tortured them. As many as 22 persons were killed. The prosecution placed names of the martyrs in the formal charge.
The prosecution also could not answer when the tribunal asked them how they had accused Jabbar for charge number five. Prosecutor Rhishikesh said: “We will probe the crime. Jabbar is responsible for incitement, planning and direction of all the atrocities.”
The first charge says Jabbar was involved in the killing of two freedom fighters in Tushkhali and set fire to over 100 houses.
The tribunal on July 8 decided to carry on the trial in absentia and appointed the state counsel for the fugitive accused.
On May 12, the tribunal issued a warrant of arrest against Jabbar taking into cognisance the charges brought against him. But the law enforcement agencies failed to arrest him. The investigation agency handed over the probe report against Jabbar on April 29.
Meanwhile at the tribunal 2, the defence in the trial of Maulana Abdus Subhan continued cross examining 21st prosecution witness Md Shahidullah alias Shahid.
The tribunal adjourned the hearing until today leaving the cross-examination incomplete.
Following this, the defence resumed questioning Investigation Officer Monowara Begum in the trial against Syed Mohammad Qaisar. The IO placed her deposition on July 7 but the defence could not cross-examine her due to her illness.