The war crimes tribunal on Wednesday framed 11 specific charges against Faridpur BNP leader Zahid Hossain alias Khokon Razakar for genocide, murder of Hindus and conversion of religion during the 1971 Liberation War.
The crimes were committed at Nagarkanda of Faridpur. Now fugitive, Khokon is the sitting mayor of Nagarkanda municipality and vice-chairman of upazila BNP unit, but investigators claim he is now in Sweden.
The three-member International Crimes Tribunal 1 headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir on Wednesday set November 3 for opening statements and placing the prosecution’s witness.
At the same time, the tribunal asked the state defence counsel to submit a witness list and other documents.
The tribunal took the charges into cognisance on July 18 and ordered the start of the trial of Khokon in absentia. Earlier the tribunal appointed Abdus Sukur Khan as state defence counsel for the accused.
In the indictment order, the tribunal described the places, times and descriptions of crimes allegedly committed by Khokon Razakar. Of the 11 charges, five were framed in connection with his alleged involvement in the killing of unarmed civilians, two about genocide and four other charges were related to abduction, confinement, torture and deportation.
As per the prosecution’s submission, Khokon was an Ansar member. After killing his elder brother Zafar Razakar on May 29, 1971, he took over leadership of the gang, and with the aid of the Pakistan army, and allegedly carried out vicious retaliatory attacks on Shaheednagar Kodalia, Ishwardi, Chadhaat, Purapara, Ashfardi, Baghhat and other nearby unions. The gang killed innocent, unarmed people, plundered gold jewellery and cash, and forcibly took women to the Pakistani army camps, says the prosecution.
They went on rampage in every union of Nagarkanda upazila, except Dofa, which was the home of his in-laws.
Khokon went into hiding soon after independence, but he regained his position in society after 1975. His name is found in the list of anti-liberation forces, Peace Committee members and razakars prepared by the police super of Faridpur.
Investigator Satya Ranjan Roy submitted the report from the probe on May 29, 2012, six weeks after it began on April 15. He took statements of 78 people, 50 of whom have been included in the witness list.
Hearing in Azhar case adjourned
On Wednesday was fixed for a defence hearing on charge framing in the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam. But upon a defence petition, the tribunal adjourned the session until on Thursday.
Defence counsel Shishir Monir pleaded for adjournment as their senior counsel Abdur Razzaq was not present due to his “sudden illness.”
Subhan’s hearing on Oct 23
After the prosecution ended their charge framing hearing against Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Maulana Abdus Subhan, the tribunal set October 23 for the defence to place their submission.
On September 15, prosecution submitted nine formal charges against the Jamaat leader for the crimes against humanity he had allegedly committed in Pabna during the 1971 Liberation War.
