The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 1 has indicted three alleged Razakar kingpins from Bagerhat for war crimes in 1971.
The three-member panel headed by ICT 1 Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim indicted the trio on Wednesday for their alleged crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation in 1971, reports BSS.
The indicted are Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master, 72, Khan Akram Hossain, 61, and Abdul Latif Talukder, 68.
The war crimes tribunal has framed a total of seven charges, including genocide, murder, abduction, confinement and torture, against the trio.
Of the total seven charges, Siraj Master was accused in five, Khan Akram and Latif were accused in three charges, in one charge the trio was held responsible jointly.
As the place of occurrences and incidents are same, the trio is being held responsible in the same case.
The first tribunal framed the charges, rejecting two separate petitions submitted by Advocate Abul Hasan, counsel for Siraj Master, and Barrister M Sarwar Hossain, counsel for Khan Akram and Latif, seeking discharge of the their clients from the allegations.
The ICT-1 also set December 2 for placing opening statement by the prosecution in this case.
The tribunal also asked the defence counsels to submit the lists of defence witnesses, documents before the tribunal by that day.
"Two separate application seeking discharge were filed. We are inclined to reject the petitions and hereby framing charges as follows," said Justice Rahim.
Charges are as follows:
1. Siraj Master was charged with abetting and facilitating genocide, murder, plundering and arson in village Ranjitpur under Sadar upazila of Bagerhat on May 13, 1971.
A total of 40/50 Hindus were killed in that incident.
2. Siraj Master was charged with abetting and facilitating genocide, murder, plundering and arson in Dakrar Kali Temple under Rampal police station in Bagerhat on May 21, 1971.
Around 600/700 Hindus were killed in that incident.
3. Siraj Master was charged with abetting and facilitating murder, abduction, confinement and torture in villages Besargati and Kandapara under Sadar Police Station in Bagerhat on June 18, 1971.
A total of 19 pro-Liberation people were abducted, confined, tortured and subsequently killed in that incident.
4. Siraj Master was charged with abetting and facilitating abduction, confinement, torture, plundering and arson in village Chulkathi under Sadar Police Station in Bagerhat on October 14, 1971.
A total of 7 pro-Liberation people were murdered and fifty houses were plundered and later set on fire.
5. Siraj Master, Khan Akram and Latif Talukder were charged with abetting and facilitating abduction and murder in Shakharikathi Haat under Kochua police station in Bagerhat on November 5, 1971.
A total of 42 pro-liberation people were killed and many houses were looted in that incident.
6. Siraj Master, Khan Akram and Latif Talukder were charged with abetting, facilitating and conspiring abduction and murder on November 22, 1971.
A total of five innocent civilians were abducted, confined, tortured and subsequently killed in that incident.
7. Khan Akram and Latif Talukder were charged with abetting, facilitating abduction and murder on December 13, 1971.
Valiant Freedom Fighter Fajlur Rahman Shikder was abducted, confined, tortured and subsequently killed in that incident.
After the charges were framed, the tribunal asked the accused, who were sitting on the dock all this time, whether they will plead guilty or not. In reply, all of them pleaded not guilty.
After that the tribunal set date for placing opening statement.
"They took training under Pakistan occupation army in Khulna Ansar Camp and set up Razakar camps in different areas of Bagerhat. Subsequently they carried out killings, genocide, rape, lootings, arson, forced conversion from those camps," said prosecutor Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon.
"They acted as commanders and deputy commanders of the infamous Razakar Bahini in then Bagerhat Mohkuma. Of these three, Siraj was particularly so vicious that he used to slit the throat of at least a person captured by his followers, before taking his daily breakfast," said the prosecutor.
The ICT-1 issued warrant to arrest the trio on June 10 this year and Latif was nabbed by police on that very day.
Akram was arrested on June 20 and Siraj on July 21.
