A war crimes tribunal yesterday ordered the government to form a monitoring committee to secure arrest of the fugitive convicts and accused.
The home secretary and the inspector general of police have been asked to form the committee within 15 days.
The committee must include representatives from the Detective Branch of police, Special Branch and Rapid Action Battalion, and the investigation agency of the tribunal. An official, not below the rank of deputy inspector general of police, will lead the committee.
The International Crimes Tribunal 1, led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, passed the order after it found that the law enforcement agencies failed to arrest the accused in four war crimes cases.
The tribunal ordered the authorities concerned to ensure that the committee submits a report before it on its activities every 40 days, once it is formed as per the order.
The government on February 16 last year formed a high-power task force, led by Law Minister Anisul Haque to bring back fugitive Bangladeshi nationals – convicted or accused in cases – from abroad for trial or executing the sentences.
Apart from a number of accused in war crimes cases, several convicts including Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar are currently staying abroad.
The same tribunal yesterday accepted seven charges in a case filed against five war crimes suspects of Kishoreganj.
The accused are Gazi Abdul Mannan, 88, commander of Karimganj razakar camp in 1971, and razakar members Nasiruddin Ahmed, 62, his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed, 60, Hafiz Uddin, 66, and Azharul Islam, 60. Only Shamsuddin is now in jail.
After taking the charges into cognisance, the tribunal also issued arrest warrants against the four fugitives. The court also asked the inspector general of police to submit a report before it by May 31 on the execution of the order.
The charges include mass killing, murder, confinement, torture, arson and looting committed in Karimganj upazila of the district between August 25 and November 13 during the Liberation War.
