9 charged with war crimes

Prosecution today pressed eight charges against nine men from Mymensingh and Jamalpur in a case filed against them for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

Prosecutor Abul Kalam submitted the formal charges along with statements of prosecution witnesses and other documents before the International Crimes Tribunal-1.

The ICT-1 fixed July 10 to decide whether it will take the charges into cognisance.

The accused were “involved” in eight incidents of crimes where at least 101 people were killed, 10 to 13 people were injured, a woman was raped and 110 to 112 houses were torched in Muktagachha and Mymensingh Sadar, according to the investigators.

Among the eight charges, three were related with acts of genocide, one with rape and others with murder and other crimes, Abul Kalam told The Daily Star.

Of the nine accused, six are now in jail while the rest are on the run.

The arrestees are Abdus Salam, 75, Suruj Ali Fakir, 62, Joyen Uddin Faruki alias Joynal Abedin, 60, Abdur Rahim alias Abdur Rahim Master, 67, Jalal Uddin, 59, and Rustam Ali, 70. Shamsher Kakir, 66, Fazlul Haque, and Shamsul Haque, 70, are yet to be arrested, Kalam said.

The tribunal's investigation agency on March 29 completed probe of the case and said to have found evidence against the nine men. On that they, the agency handed over the report and other documents to the Chief Prosecutors’ Office.

Of the nine, Abdus Salam was allegedly involved with Al-Badr force, while the rest were alleged Razakar men, agency said.

The charges are killing of four people of Binodbari Mankone village and setting fire at a house; killing of seven people at the same village, injuring two others and torching a house; killing of 14 people of Darikrishnapur in Muktagacha; killing of 19 people and injuring several others at the same village; killing of 28 to 30 people and injuring six to seven people of Mirzakanda Katalsar; killing of 16 to 18 people Kabirpur; rape of a woman of Birashi Purba Para and torching of 30 to 35 houses; and killing of 13 people Shasanich village.