The International Crimes Tribunal will deliver its judgement any day in a war crimes case filed against notorious razakar leaders Obaidul Haq Taher and Ataur Rahman Noni of Netrokona.
The three-member tribunal headed by Chairman Justice Anwarul Haque yesterday concluded recording the closing arguments of the prosecution and the defence.
According to the prosecution, the duo were involved in the abduction and killing of at least 15 persons including Awami League leader Fazlur Rahman Talukder at Barhatta, and looting and setting fire to 400-450 houses during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
Taher and Noni joined the local Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, and were notorious for the atrocities committed in various parts of Netrokona including the sadar upazila and Barhatta, mainly against the local Hindus. Taher was the commander of the local razakar unit.
In the case, lawyers Mokhlesur Rahman Badal and Sabina Yasmin Khan Munni represented the state, while Abdus Subhan Tarafder and Gazi MH Tamim represented the accused.
The two accused were present before the tribunal during the fourth day’s argument yesterday when the prosecution sought their capital punishment and the defence prayed for acquittal.
The prosecution said that they had been able to prove five out of the six charges pressed against the duo beyond any doubt. On the other hand, defence counsel Abdus Subhan Tarafder sought acquittal of his clients saying that no witnesses had mentioned the names of the accused.
The prosecution’s probe body began investigations against them on June 6, 2013 and submitted their findings on November 5, 2014. The duo were arrested on August 12, 2014.
Six charges were framed against them on March 2 last year by the tribunal for their alleged involvement in committing crimes against humanity during the war.
According to the first charge, Taher and Noni along with other razakars and the Pakistani Army members attacked Bausi Bazar on August 17, and confined Fazlur, the then president of Bausi Union Awami League and an organiser of the Liberation War, Md Abdul Hye, Abdul Hannan and four-five others. They also plundered 20-25 houses before setting those on fire. Fazlur was tortured at the district rest house, used as a torture cell, and shot dead at Trimohoni Bridge. His body was thrown into the river. Following the attack, many Hindus of the area fled to India.
In another incident that took place on October 4, 1971, the duo and their cohorts abducted pro-liberation activist Dabir Hossain from Sree Sree Narosingho Zeur Akhra area at Barhatta. He was tortured at the rest house and killed near Mokter Para Bridge. His body was also thrown into the river.
According to another charge, the accused and others attacked Laufa village at Barhatta on October 19 where many Hindus had taken shelter on their way to India. The razakars later attacked Asma village, caught six people and tortured them in confinement. They also looted 50-60 houses and set those on fire. They also killed seven people including Ruj Ali Talukder and Jafor Ali Talukder near Thakurakona Railway Bridge.
The fourth charge says on a day in May, the accused occupied the house of Moloy Bihari Biswas at Mokter Para of the town and established a razakar camp. Following this, his family members had fled to India. At the torture cell, many pro-liberation supporters and members of the Hindu community were brought from 17 different areas of the then Netrokona Sub-Division, tortured and killed. They also occupied the house of lawyer Sreesha Chandra Sarker and established the office of Nezam-e-Islami to carry out atrocious activities against the pro-liberation people. Sreesha and his family members were compelled to leave the country.
On November 15, the razakars attacked Birampur Bazar and captured six people including a minor boy named Ismail Hossain. They were first tortured at the rest house and later having been boarded in an open jeep tortured and projected all over the town. In the evening, the victims were taken to the Pakistani Army camp situated at Vocational Training Institute and tortured. Five of them including Ismail were killed in the night near Mokterpara bridge. The razakars expressed joys by firing gun shots after the murders.
According to the last charge, the accused accompanied by their cohorts and the Pakistani Army members caught 15 Hindus from the town in early October, and killed all of them by gun shots at Trimohoni Bridge with an intent to destroy, in while or in part the Hindu religious group.
