Ex-AL leader of Habiganj charged with war crimes

The prosecution yesterday filed seven specific charges against two men, including a former leader of Habiganj Awami League, over crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta submitted the formal charges against Liakat Ali, 61, former president of Lakhai upazila unit AL of Habiganj, and Aminul Islam alias Rajab Ali, 62, of Astogram upazila in Kishoreganj, to the International Crimes Tribunal-1.

The tribunal fixed May 18 to decide whether to accept the charges.

On December 27 last year, the tribunal's investigation agency completed the probe against the duo and said to have found their involvement in seven incidents of crime in 1971.

According to the agency, a college student in 1971, Liakat, son of Khelu Mia of Lakhai, was involved with Muslim League along with his maternal uncle.

During the war, Liakat's uncle became chairman of Fandauk Union Peace Committee in Brahmanbaria's Nasirnagar upazila, while he led the union's Razakar Bahini, it said.

Liakat committed the crimes with assistance from the Pakistani army, went into hiding after the war, and later got involved with AL, said the agency, adding that he was now believed to be in the US.

Liakat was the incumbent chairman of Morakari union, and they "had no information" on whether he had been expelled from AL, it said, adding that he went into hiding when the investigation began on November 5, 2014.

According to the agency, Aminul, son of Abdul Goni Munshi of Astogram, was president of Jamaat-e-Islami's then student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha's Hazi Hasmat Ali College unit in 1970 and formed Al-Badr Bahini with Chhatra Sangha men during the war.

He committed the atrocities in association with the Pakistani army and his force, and freedom fighters caught him at the end of the war, the agency said.

Three cases were filed against him under the Collaborators Act-1972, and he had been given a life sentence but got released in 1981 after the political changeover, it added.

The "self-proclaimed criminal" even wrote a book titled "Ami Al-Badr Bolchi" after his release, the agency said.

The seven criminal incidents they were "found to have been involved in" are looting and killing of 43 Hindu men in Krishnapur in Lakhai, killing of nine Hindu men in Chandipur in Lakhai, killing of 26 Hindu men in Gadainagar in Lakhai, killing of eight Hindu men in Sadanagar village in Lakhai, killing of one Rangu Mia in Nasirnagar, killing of five men in Sabiyanagar in Astogram, and killing of 10 other men in the same village.

NARAIL CASE

The tribunal showed two Narail men arrested in a war crimes case, following a prosecution's petition.

The accused are Abdul Wahab 70, of Fulsar village and Omar Ali Sheikh, 60, of Barasula village in Narail Sadar upazila.

Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman told the tribunal that the two were now in a Narail jail following their arrest in two separate cases filed under the Special Powers Act-1974.

Meanwhile, an investigation against the duo started on March 21 this year, and the investigation officer said he had found their involvement in two incidents of killings committed in 1971.

They need to be shown arrested and kept in jail; otherwise they may be released on bail and go into hiding, said the prosecutor.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque fixed May 18 for passing the next order in the case.