Indictment order in six Netrokona Razakars Apr 19
FF testifies against 5 Moulvibazar accused
BSS
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 yesterday adjourned passing order on indictment in crimes against humanity case against six alleged Razakars from Purbodhola, Netrokona till April 19.
Today was set for passing the charge framing order. But Justice Md Shahinur Islam, senior member of two-judge tribunal, deferred the date as tribunal chairman Justice Anwarul Haque was not present today, prosecutor Mukhlesur Rahman Badal told BSS.
The six accused are Sheikh Md Abdul Mazid alias Mazid Mawlana, 66, Md Abdul Khalek Talukder, 67, Md Kabir Khan, 70, Abdur Rahman, 70, Abdus Salam Begh, 68, and Nuruddin, 70. Of the six, only Rahman is in jail and was present at the courtroom yesterday.
The prosecution on May 22, 2016, submitted the formal charge in the case, pressing seven charges of crimes against humanity against them.
Freedom fighter Abdul Kadir filed the case in 2013 over the murder of his elder brother Abdul Khaleque in August 1971. The case was later transferred to the ICT. The investigation report was submitted on Mar 16, 2016.
Another report adds: Farasath Ali, a valiant Freedom Fighter, yesterday testified as ninth prosecution witness (PW) in the crimes against humanity case against five alleged Razakars from Moulvibazar.
Farasath, now working as the chairman of NRB Commercial Bank, lost his elder brother and Freedom Fighter Nojabat Ali in 1971 as he was martyred by the Pakistani occupation army after being apprehended and tortured by Razakars including Shamsul Hossain Tarafder alias Ashraf, Md Nesar Ali, Yunus Ahmed, Md Ujer Ahmed Chowdhury and Mobarak Miah.
Razakars along with Pakistani army men raided our village on the dawn of November 29, 1971. They apprehended my brother Nojabat, our neighbor Abdul
Basit Badshah Miah and his brother Abdul Kadir. Razakar Ujer during the raid took a grenade to Pakistani army captain leading the raiding force and falsely said he recovered it from our house. The captain then ordered to loot and set our house on fire, Farasath said.
They took the three to Rajnagar police station and beat them mercilessly for the whole day.
In the evening Razakars put them on a vehicle and began to beat them again. As a result, Kadir lost his sense. Razakars threw him out of the vehicle as they thought he was dead. They took the remaining two to Moulvibazar Army Camp and handed them to army men.
One Choab Ali of village Goyeshpur on December 7, 1971, said Pakistani army men have shot 70/80 people including my brother Nojabat, neighbor Badshah, dead on December 5. Choab miraculously survived the firing with injuries, Farasath added as he broke down in tears.
After the deposition, Yunuss lawyer Abdus Subhan Tarafder and counsel for other four accused Muzahedul Islam Shahin cross-examined him.
Justice Shahinur Islam, senior member of the two-judge tribunal, then adjourned the hearing till April 3.
The prosecution on May 26, 2016, submitted the formal charges against the five, bringing five specific charges of crimes against humanity. The tribunal on June 9 took the charges into cognizance and on December 8 indicted the accused.
