5 war crimes charges pressed against ex-JP MP Jabbar

Abdul Jabbar

Prosecution today pressed five charges against former Jatiya Party lawmaker Abdul Jabbar for his crimes against humanity committed during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

Jabbar, as the chairman of Mathbaria Peace Committee, had “played a key role” in the formation of the Razakar Bhahini and had “led the force” in committing crimes in Mathbaria area during the nine-month-long Liberation War.

Prosecution Zahid Imam submitted the charges to the registrar office around 11:15am to place it before the ICT-1.

Investigators, who have found Jabbar's involvement in at least five crimes including genocide, murder and looting, submitted the probe report to the prosecution on April 29.

After probing the allegations against Jabbar, the war crimes investigation agency on April 28 said that it had found evidence of his involvement in at least five crimes against humanity at Mothbaria upazila of Pirojpur during the war.

According to the investigators, Jabbar along with his accomplices forcefully converted 200 Hindus to Islam at Phuljhuri village in the last week of May 1971.

The probe report also cites Jabbar's involvement in killing two freedom fighters in the village. 

Apart from that, Jabbar participated in the killing of one person in Phuljhuri and setting fire to 360 houses, the report said.

He and his cohorts on October 6, 1971 detained 37 people of Angulkata and Mothbaria villages of the upazila. Of them, 22 were later killed and the others injured, said Helal, who had also investigated the case against war crimes convict Delawar Hossain Sayedee.

Jabbar's involvement was also found in the killing of 11 people, and looting of and setting fire to 60 houses at Noli village of Pirojpur.