Arrest order against 6 Mymensingh war crimes accused

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 today issued arrest warrant against six Mymensingh men, who have been charged with crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

The special tribunal issued the warrant following a petition moved by Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman.

The six are among 11 accused from Mymensingh against whom the prosecution on Wednesday pressed charges for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War.

The tribunal fixed May 22 for submission of execution report on the arrest warrant.

However, the prosecution did not name the six accused.

The 11 were “involved” with Razakar Bahini, the Pakistan occupation army's auxiliary force, during the Liberation War and “committed” crimes which include killing of four people, torture on nine, looting, arson, abduction and confinement in Pagla Police Station of the district, according to the prosecution.

Five of the accused -- Khalilur Rahman Mir alias Khalilur Rahman, 62, Md Samsuzzaman alias Abul Kalam, 65, Mohammad Abdullah, 62, Mohammad Abdul Malek Akand alias Abul Hossain, 68, and Md Rois Uddin Azadi alias Akkel Ali, 74, -- are now in jail.

They are all from Pagla, the prosecutor told The Daily Star.

Samsuzzaman, Abdullah and Rois fled the area after the war. Since then, Samsuzzaman has been living in Pabna, Abdullah in Dhaka and Rois in Rajshahi, according to tribunal's investigation agency.

On February 20 this year, the investigation agency completed probe into the case and said to have found evidence against the 11 over their alleged involvement in wartime crimes. It handed over the probe report and other documents to the Chief Prosecutor Office of the tribunal on that day.

The four charges against them are: Killing of Shahabuddin alias Khoka, a local organiser of the Liberation War of Sadhua village; killing of Joidhar Khan alias Taru, another local organiser of the war, and looting and torching of his houses in Sadhua village;  killing of Toiab Ali of the same village; and killing of freedom fighter Nur Hossain of Rouha village.