4 razakars get death sentence
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has awarded death penalty to four Razakars and handed down imprisonment until death to one for wartime atrocities. Those who received the death penalty are: Gazi Abdul Mannan (88), Nasiruddin Ahmed (62), his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed (60) and Hafiz Uddin (66). Azharul Islam (60) was awarded imprisonment until death. The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Anwarul Haque, delivered the verdict yesterday.
Apart from Shamsuddin, all the others are currently on the run. The court ordered their immediate arrest and directed the authorities concerned to seek help from Interpol in this regard, if necessary. The prosecution team dedicated the verdict to Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam. Jahanara Imams elder son, Shafi Imam Rumi, who was a freedom fighter, was killed during the Liberation War of 1971. She persistently pressed for the trial of war criminals during the 1990s. Yesterday was her 87th birth anniversary. Jaharana Imam passed away in 1994. Were dedicating this verdict to the memory of Jahanara Imam on her 87th birthday, said Sultan Mahmud Simon, a member of the prosecution.
Another prosecutor, Rezia Sultana, said that the verdict has made happy the prosecution team and the families of the victims. On May 10 last year, the prosecution had brought seven counts of charges against these five Razakars for war crimes against humanity, including murder, mass killing, torture, and abduction and arson during the Liberation War. According to the tribunal verdict, all five were accused in Charges 1, 3, and 4 brought by the prosecution for abduction, torture in captivity and murder.
Nasiruddin was accused of killing under Charge 2, Shamsuddin of murders under Charge 5, Mannan of abduction, torture in captivity, and murder under Charge 6 and arson under Charge 7. Meanwhile, freedom fighters, relatives and people in Kishoreganj and Karimganj expressed their satisfaction and distributed sweets after the verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal, reports our correspondent from Kishoreganj. Freedom fighters also brought out a procession in the town seeking swift execution of the verdict and demanded the arrest of other war criminals who are now absconding.
