Death for 4 Moulvibazar war criminals

Four persons of Moulvibazar were sentenced to death for committing genocide during the Liberation War in 1971.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) -1 led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam also jailed the four until death for committing crimes against humanity during the nine-month war.

The convicts are Akmal Ali Talukder, Abdun Nur Talukder alias Lal Miah, Anis Miah and Abdul Musabbir Miah -- all from Rajnagar upazila of Moulvibazar.

Among them, Akmal is now behind bars while the other three are absconding.

After delivering the verdict, the special court also asked the inspector general of police and the home secretary to take measures to arrest the three absconding convicts.

After today's court verdict, prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said, "We got justice".

State-appointed defence counsel for the three fugitive convicts Mohammad Abul Hasan said that he is aggrieved with the verdict.

During the Liberation War, Akmal was a member of local peace committee, an anti-liberation organisation, while the others were involved with the Razakar Bahini, they also said.

Later, the three others except Akmal got involved with Jamaat-e-Islami.

After the prosecution pressed charges against the four on May 31, 2016, the tribunal on May 7 in 2017 framed two charges against them.

Charges against the four

One incident involved looting and arson in 132 houses, killing of 59 people and rape of six women in Rajnagar upazila between May 7 and 8, 1971.

The other incident was looting and arson in four houses and abduction, confinement, torture and killing of two persons between November 24 and 25, 1971.