Charges accepted against 5 Kishoreganj “Razakars”

A tribunal in Dhaka today accepted seven charges levelled against five suspects of Kishoreganj for their alleged crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

After taking charges into cognisance against them, The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 issued arrest warrants against four of the war criminals, who are absconding.

The three-member tribunal, led by its Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim, accepted the charges, which include mass killing, murder, confinement, torture, arson and looting committed in Karimganj upazila of the district between August 25 and November 13 in 1971.  

The accused are Gazi Abdul Mannan, 88, the alleged commander of Karimganj Razakar camp, alleged Razakar members Nasiruddin Ahmed, 62, his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed, 60, Hafiz Uddin, 66, and Azharul Islam, 60.

Of the accused, only Shamsuddin is now in jail.

All the five accused were “involved” in at least seven criminal incidents, said the prosecution.

The court asked the inspector general of police (IGP) to submit a report before it by May 31on the whereabouts of the fugitive war criminals.