Verdict any day

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 will deliver verdict any day in a case filed against five Moulvibazar men for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam yesterday placed the case in the waiting list for delivery of verdict after it completed hearing of closing arguments from the prosecution and the defence. 

The accused -- Yunus Ahmed, 71, Ujer Ahmed Chowdhury, 63, Samsul Hossain Tarafder, 65, Nesar Ali, 75, and Mobarak Mia, 66 -- are facing five charges.

Of them, Yunus and Ujer are now in jail while the rest are on the run.

Wrapping up their arguments, Prosecutor Tapas Kanti Baul sought capital punishment for all the accused claiming to have been able to prove all charges.

Defence counsel Muzahedul Islam Shahin, however, said the prosecution could not prove any charge “beyond reasonable doubt” and thus the accused should be acquitted.

The prosecutors pressed five charges against the accused on May 26 last year. They alleged that Samsul was an Al-Badr commander while the rest were members of the Razakar Bahini. The prosecution produced 15 witnesses along with documents proving the charges against the five.

PROSECUTION REBUKED

The tribunal, meanwhile, rebuked the prosecution for exhibiting a book as evidence even though it was not “authoritative”.

The prosecution submitted a book named “Sylhete Ganohatya” written by one Tajul Islam as evidence. The book was first published in 1989.

When Prosecutor Tapas was placing rebuttal of defence counsel's submission yesterday, Justice Shahinur Islam asked him whether the book was “authoritative”.

As Tapas replied in the negative, the judge said, “Then why are you relying on it? Why have you placed it as an exhibit? On one hand, you are saying the book is not authoritative, but on the other hand you exhibited the book. Why?”

“We submitted the book to show the brutality of the atrocities committed there [Sylhet],” Tapas said.

“No, you are trying to confuse us. We will write about the matter separately [in the judgement],” said Justice Shahinur.

The other prosecutor, Sultan Mahmud Simon, then said although they were not relying on the book, they submitted it as it has clues of the crimes committed there.

The tribunal then kept the case waiting for delivering judgment.

CHARGES

The charges include the abduction, torture and killing of one Danu Mia; looting and torching of three houses; confinement of three people; abduction, confinement and torture of another three; and looting and torching of houses of one Harendra Bhattacharya between November 22 and December 5.

It also includes killing of one Jamini Mohan Dev; abduction, confinement and torture of three people on November 25; and abduction of four people including one Rasraj Bhattacharya on November 27.

The remaining are over the abduction and torture of four people and killing of two between November 29 and December 8; and an act of genocide through the killing of 14 Hindus on December 29.