2 Habiganj war crimes accused face 4 charges

The prosecution yesterday pressed four charges against two “Habiganj Razakars” for their alleged involvement in crimes committed in the district during the Liberation War in 1971.

The charges against Muhibur Rahman Boromian, 65, and Mujibur Rahman Angur Mian, 60, include murder, rape and abduction. The accused are siblings.

According to the prosecution, Muhibur is the former and Mujibur is the incumbent chairman of Khagaura union parishad of Baniachang upazila.

After prosecutors Sultan Mahmud Simon and Tapos Kanti Baul submitted the formal charges through the tribunal's registrar office, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday fixed May 25 for further order in the case.Meanwhile, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant for one Abdur Razzak of the same district after the prosecution filed a petition seeking the warrant last week.

Sultan Mahmud claimed that the investigation agency found the involvement of Razzak, a cousin of the two siblings, in wartime offences when it was probing the case against the two.

FORKAN CASE

The ICT-2 yesterday fixed May 28 for beginning the closing arguments, the last stage before verdict delivery, in the war crimes case against Forkan Mallik, an alleged Razakar from Patuakhali's Mirzaganj's upazila.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed the date on completion of recording the testimony and cross-examination of Mozammel Haque, the fourth defence witness.

Forkan faces five charges of crime, including killing and rape, committed in the district in 1971. However, he has pleaded not guilty.

ICT-1

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday granted a prosecution petition for allowing the investigation agency to interrogate three war crimes suspects from Jessore at the 'Safe Home” in Dhaka's Dhanmondi.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order following the petition moved by Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman.

The suspects are Billal Hossain, Akram Hossain and Ozehar Moral of Keshabpur upazila of Jessore.

Police arrested the trio on Tuesday, hours after the tribunal issued arrest warrants for 11 suspects from Jessore following another prosecution petition.

The prosecution said the 11 suspects' involvement in crimes came to their knowledge when the investigation agency were probing the allegations against former lawmaker Sakhawat Hossain.

The prosecution yesterday also submitted a progress report on the investigation in the case against Sakhawat and following a time petition, the tribunal asked the prosecution to submit the formal charges or report again on June 21.