Two Netrakona suspects held

Police yesterday arrested two war crimes suspects hours after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued arrest orders for seven men of Netrakona's Purbadhala upazila, who allegedly committed crimes against humanity during the country's Liberation War in 1971.

Ahmmad Ali, 72, of Sunaikanda village, and Abdur Rahman, 72, of Karha (Ganakpara), of the upazila were arrested around 4:30pm, Abdur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Purbadhala Police Station, told The Daily Star.

Prosecutor Sabina Yasmin Munni said an investigation which opened against the seven in February last year had already found evidence of their “involvement” in crimes including murders.

“We sought their arrest for effective and proper investigation,” Munni said.

Shahjahan Kabir, the investigation officer of the case, said the suspects were involved with anti-liberation Muslim League and Nezam-e-Islami in 1971 and later they joined the Razakar Bahini, a force of collaborators.

She, however, declined to give names of the other suspects as they might went into hiding once their names are published in the media.

Meanwhile, the same tribunal sent alleged Al-Badr commander Riaz Uddin Fakir to jail after police produced him before it yesterday.

Riaz was arrested along with Razakar suspect Hazi Amjad Ali of Phulbaria upazila of Mymensingh on Tuesday.

But when the two were being taken to Dhaka from Mymensingh, the prison van met with an accident, injuring Amjad. He was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Prosecutor Hrishikesh Saha told the tribunal.

The tribunal asked the prison authorities to put him in jail after completion of his treatment.

On Tuesday, the tribunal ordered the arrest of three suspects of Mymensingh. Police could not arrest the third yet.