Six charges pressed against 2 Kishoreganj 'Razakars'

Prosecutors yesterday pressed six specific charges against two alleged Razakars for their alleged involvement in crimes committed in Kishoreganj during the Liberation War in 1971.

Holding a brief hearing, International Crimes Tribunal-1 fixed December 29 to decide on taking into cognisance the charges against Syed Mohammad Hussain alias Hossain, 64, younger brother of convicted war criminal Syed Hasan Ali, and Muhammad Moslem Pradhan, 66.

The prosecution pressed charges of “war crimes” and violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 against the two and this is the first time any accused face these charges since the start of the trial, Prosecutor Tureen Afroz told The Daily Star.

They also face charges of crimes against humanity and genocide, which the prosecution used to bring against suspects previously, she said.

Tureen said this war crimes charge was over the killing of a prisoner of war, which is a violation of the rules and customs of war.

The charge says Moslem, along with four/five Razakars and on Syed Mohammad's instructions, captured unarmed freedom fighter Abdul Malek from his house without meeting any resistance on October 19.

Malek was taken in front of one Debendra Chandra Nath's house and Moslem, again on Syed Mohammad's instructions, shot him dead.

The freedom fighter should be considered a prisoner of war, she said.

The Liberation War is considered an international armed conflict, and during the period, maltreatment of dead bodies like dumping those into rivers or dragging them across the surface constitutes violation of the Geneva Convention, Tureen said.

The two were "involved" in several such incidents, she added.

FIVE OTHER CHARGES

Persecution of Hindus through forced conversion in Dampara village in Nikli upazila in mid-August; abduction, confinement and torture of four people in Nikli Bazar from September 2 to October 19; killing of 26 people in Gurui village on September 6; killing of 35 Hindus and torture of four others in Dampara village on September 23; and killings of freedom fighters Khairul Jahan Bir Pratik and Md Selim Bir Pratik in Kishoreganj sadar upazila on November 26.

BACKGROUND

Syed Mohammad left for Malaysia on May 21 last year and the investigations began on November 13, according to the tribunal's investigation agency.

Interpol has already issued a red notice and talked to Malaysian police to bring him back, it said.

Moslem, of Kamarhati village in Nikli upazila, was arrested on July 8 this year after the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against the duo.

Syed Mohammad was originally from Machihata village (Pir Bari) in Brahmanbaria sadar upazila but had been living with his family in Kishoreganj sadar upazila since 1936 as his father worked there, according to the agency.

His father, Syed Musleh Uddin, was the vice president of the East Pakistan unit of Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) and chairman of the Peace Committee in Kishoreganj sub-division in 1971, the agency said.

Both PDP and Peace Committee worked against Bangladesh's liberation.

Syed Mohammad was the commander of the Razakar Bahini in Nikli and known as “Razakarer Daroga” while his brother that of Tarail upazila in 1971. Moslem was a Razakar member and Syed Mohammad's associate, it said.