The war crimes tribunal today will deliver the verdict in the case of Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan for their alleged involvement with the killing of intellectuals at the fag-end of the 1971 Liberation War.
Absconding Mueen and Ashraf who are believed to be in London and New York now are facing 11 charges.
Charge 1: Abduction and killing of journalist Siraj Uddin Hossain
Following the instruction of Mueen and Ashraf, seven-eight armed al-Badr men around 3-3:30pm on December 11, 1971 abducted journalist Siraj Uddin after forcibly entering his house at Chamelibagh, Paltan of Dhaka. Later he was taken to an unknown place by a minibus. His body was never found.
Charge 2: Abetting in abduction and killing of journalist Syed Nazmul Haque
Some 10 armed al-Badr men led and being accompanied by Mueen and Ashraf around 4-4:30am on December 11, 1971 abducted prominent journalist Nazmul, then staff reporter of Columbia Broadcasting Services, on gun point. He was also taken to an unknown place by a minibus. Later he was killed but his body could not be found.
Charge 3: Abduction and killing of journalist ANM Golam Mostafa
Between 6am and 6:30am the same day, a gang of five-six armed al-Badar men on instruction of Mueen and Ashraf abducted Golam Mostafa, the then chief reporter of the daily Purbadesh. Mueen was a reporter in the same newspaper in 1971. The abductors pretended to take him to the office of daily Purbadesh. His body was also not found.
Charge 4: Abetting in abduction and killing of journalist Nizam Uddin
At noon on December 12, 1971, a gang of armed al-Badar men following the order of Mueen and Ashraf abducted BBC reporter Nizam. His body was never found.
Charge 5: Abetting in abduction and killing of journalist Selina Parvin
Around noon of December 13, 1971, some armed al-Badar men accompanied by Mueen and Ashraf abducted editor of daily Shilalipi Selina Parvin after forcibly entering her rented house. Her body was found on December 17 at the Rayerbazar mass killing ground.
Charge 6: Abduction and killing of eight intellectuals
Between 8am and 9:45am on December 13, around five-six armed al-Badar men accompanied by Mueen and Ashraf abducted Prof Gias Uddin Ahmed, Prof Dr Serajul Haque Khan, Dr Md Mortuza, Dr Abul Khayer, Dr Foyzul Mohiuddin, Prof Rashidul Hassan, Prof Anwar Pasha and Prof Dr Santosh Bhattacharjee from their respective residences situated on the Dhaka University campus.
Among them, the bodies of Prof Gias, Dr Mortuza, Dr Khayer, Prof Rashidul, Prof Anwar and Prof Dr Santosh were identified and recovered from Mirpur mass grave after the liberation.
Prof Gias’s name was later found listed in “Jollader Diary” (diary of the butcher), maintained by Ashraf.
Charge 7: Abduction and killing of Prof Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury
In between 12 noon and 1pm on December 14, seven-eight armed members of al-Badar force led by Mueen and Ashraf abducted Prof Mofazzal Haider from his residence in Dhaka University. The victim could recognise Mueen, who was a student of Bangla department, after his brother had removed the scarf from Mueen’s face. He was taken by a minibus and his body could not be traced. Mofazzal’s name was also in the diary of Ashraf.
Charge 8: Abduction and killing of Prof AM Munier Chowdhury
Three-four al-Badr members around 1-1:30pm on December 14 following Mueen and Ashraf’s instruction abducted Prof Munier from his residence. He was also taken by a minibus and later was killed. Ashraf’s diary had his name listed.
Charge 9: Abduction and killing of Shahidullah Kaiser
Around 6pm on December 14, five-six armed al-Badar men led by Mueen and Ashraf abducted the eminent journalist, then joint editor of the daily Sangbad. He was taken by a minibus and later killed. His body was never found.
Charge 10: Abduction and killing of Dr Fazle Rabbee
The physician was abducted around 2-3pm on December 15 by two-three armed al-Badar men led by Mueen and Ashraf. He was taken to Mohammad Physical Training College, infamous in 1971 for being used as a torture cell of the para militia force, by a minibus. His body was found on December 18 at the Rayerbazar mass killing field.
Charge 11: Abetting in abduction and killing of Dr Alim Chowdhury
Dr Alim was abducted around 3:30-4pm on December 15 from his residence at Purana Paltan by a gang of armed al-Badar men following the instruction of the accused. Al-Badr organiser Maulana Mannan used to live at the same building. Dr Alim was taken by a minibus and later was killed. On December 18, his body was recovered blindfolded from Rayerbazar mass killing field.