2 Netrakona ‘Razakars’ indicted

A special tribunal in Dhaka today framed six charges against two war crimes suspect of Netrakona for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

The accused are Obaidul Haque alias Taher and Ataur Rahman Noni.

After the International Crimes Tribunal-1 indicted them, the duo claimed themselves innocent.

The three-member tribunal led by its Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim fixed April 5 for starting the trial with the opening statements, and for recording depositions of prosecution witnesses.

The tribunal accepted the six charges against the two alleged Razakars on December 11, 2014.

According to the prosecution, the two were involved in the abduction and killing of at least 15 persons and looting and setting fire to between 400 and 450 houses in 1971.

The duo led Razakars, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, in the abduction of one Fazlur Rahman Talukder from Baushi Bazar on August 17, 1971. They later killed him in Trimohoni Bazar, the prosecution said.

Obaidul and Ataur abducted acclaimed footballer Dabir Hossain from Barhatta and shot him dead at Moktarpara Bridge after torture, the formal charge reads.

They also abducted 10 persons from Barhatta on October 12, 1971 and among them seven were shot dead. On November 15, 1971, they abducted another six and shot them dead.