2 war crimes suspects to be quizzed at safe home

A tribunal in Dhaka today allowed investigators to interrogate two war crimes suspects of Habiganj at its Dhanmondi safe home for their alleged crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

The suspects are Mahibur Rahman Boromian, 70, former chairman of Khagaura union parishad, and his younger brother Majibur Rahman Angur Mian, 65, incumbent chairman of the same union council.

They will be interrogated at the safe home for seven hours from 10:00am on March 16.

The tribunal asked the prosecution to submit an investigation report, if there is any, on April 16 over the allegations against the suspected siblings.

In response to a petition, two-member tribunal led by Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah directed the jail authorities to take necessary steps for providing treatment to Mahibur and Majibur.

In the petition, the defence sought the court's order on their treatment as Mahibur has been suffering from eye problems and other complexities while Majibur is diabetic.

The tribunal also ordered the jail authorities to submit a compliance reports on taking measures of their treatments by April 16.

The two brothers were arrested on February 10 this year on charges of war crimes.

The two brothers formed a Razakar force in the area and used to hand over freedom fighters to the Pakistani occupation army in 1971, sources say.

Earlier in 2009, Akal's wife Bhingraj Bibi filed a case against the brothers with a judicial magistrate's court in Habiganj accusing them of collaborating with the Pakistani occupation forces during the war.

They were also accused of setting fire and looting the house of Maj Gen MA Rob, deputy commander of the pro-liberation forces.

The court took the case into cognisance and ordered Baniachang police to investigate the matter.

The case was later transferred to the International Crimes Tribunal formed in 2010 to try the war criminals.

A probe body led by Sanaul Huq, senior member of the investigation agency designated to investigate war crimes, visited the places of alleged occurrences in the district on November 26 last year.