The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday decided to hold trial of a fugitive Netrakona accused in absentia in a case filed allegedly for committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam took the decision as he did not appear before it even after publication of advertisements in national dailies asking him to do so.

Earlier, police filed a report mentioning Hedayet Ullah Anju, 80, as a fugitive.

It also appointed Abdus Shukur Khan as the state defence counsel and fixed November 27 for hearing on charges.

Anju is one of the two accused of the case. Another accused Sohrab Fakir, 88, of Kulshree village in Netrakona is now in jail.

On November 27 last year, the prosecution pressed five specific charges against three persons including Manju and Sohrab. Another accused Enayet Ullah Manju, 70, also the brother of Anju, died of old age complications on January 25.

Hedayet was a Jamaat-e-Islami leader while the rest were activists in 1971 and all three first joined local Peace Committees and then Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, says the investigators.

Hedayet contested in the Pakistan Nation Election in 1970 with Jamaat ticket but was defeated.