Verdict today on Taher, Nani

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver the verdict today in a case filed against two alleged razakars of Netrakona for committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the Liberation War.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Anwarul Haque, yesterday fixed the date and directed the jail authorities to produce the accused -- Obaidul Haque Taher, 66, and Ataur Rahman Nani, 62, -- before the court at 10:00am today.

The two alleged members of the razakar force, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army, face six charges, including murder and genocide. They had pleaded not guilty.

According to the charges, Taher and Nani were involved in the abductions and killings of at least 30 people and looting of 400-450 shops and setting fire to those on fire in 1971.

On January 10, the tribunal kept the case waiting for verdict after hearing the closing arguments.

In the closing arguments, the prosecution sought capital punishment for the accused saying that it had been able to prove five out of the six charges “beyond any shadow of doubt”. The defence counsels prayed for acquittal of their clients claiming that the prosecution failed to prove any charges.

The tribunal on March 2 last year framed six charges against the two. Twenty-three prosecution witnesses testified against them.

The defence did not bring in any witness.

This will be the first verdict after the ICT-1 was reconstituted on September 15 last year.

CHARGES

According to the first charge, razakar commander Taher and his accomplice Nani accompanied by other razakars and the Pakistan army on August 17, 1971, attacked Baushi Bazar under Barhatta Police Station and looted valuables from 400-450 shops and 20-25 houses of the Hindus.

They also detained and tortured seven to eight people, including local Awami League leader Fazlur Rahman. All but Fazlur were released. Taher, Nani and other razakars took Fazlur to Trimohoni Bridge and shot him dead, the charge added.

The second charge says razakars under the leadership of Taher on October 4, 1971, caught footballer Dabir Hossain at Sree Sree Narosingh Jeur Akhra and took him to Zilla Parishad Bungalow where he was tortured all day. He was later shot dead near Moktarpara Bridge in Netrakona town.

The duo accompanied by other razakars and the Pakistan army attacked Laufa village under Barhatta Police Station around 2:30pm on October 19, 1971, and detained 10 people. Seven of them were later shot dead while one survived with bullet injuries and two were freed. The razakars also raped women there, reads the third charge.

On a day in the latter half of May, the accused occupied one Moloy Biswas' home at Moktarpara and set up a razakar camp there. The house owner later left Bangladesh for India in fear, reads the fourth charge.

They also occupied the house of Sirish Chandra Sarker and set up an office of anti-liberation party Nezam-e-Islami for carrying out atrocious activities against   the pro-liberation people. Sirish and his family members were forced to leave the country, it added.

The fifth charge says Taher, Nani along with other razakars between November 15 and 16 detained seven people including Badiuzzaman Mukto, an organiser of Liberation War, at Birampur Bazar and shot all but one dead.

On a day in the first week of October, Taher and Nani along with Pakistan army and other razakars detained 15 Hindus from Netrakona jail gate area and took them near Trimohoni Bridge and shot dead all of them “with an intent to destroy, in whole or part, the Hindu group”, according to the sixth charge.