Charges pressed against 6 Netrakona war crimes suspects

The prosecution today pressed seven specific charges against six Netrakona men who were allegedly involved in crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

Prosecutors Mukhlesur Rahman Badal and Sabina Yasmin Munni submitted the charges to the International Crimes Tribunal-1 through its registrar office this morning.

After receiving the charges and other documents, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque fixed June 12 to decide whether it would take the charges into cognizance.

The accused are: Sheikh Abdul Majid alias Majid Maulana, 66, Abdul Khaleque Talukder, 67, Kabir Khan, 70, Salam Begh, 68, and Nuruddin alias Raddin, 70, and Abdur Rahman, 70. All the accused are from Purbadhala upazila of Netrakona.

Of the six, only Abdur Rahman is now in jail while the rest are on the run.

The investigation agency of the tribunal on March 16 this year said to have found evidence of war-time crimes against seven Netrakona men.

The seven were ‘involved’ with Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, and abductions, torture, lootings, arsons, rape and murders in 1971, the agency said.

But, the prosecution today pressed charges against six men as another accused Ahmmad Ali, 78, died in Dhaka Medical College Hospital on October 28, 2015 during investigation, Sabina Yasmin told The Daily Star.

The charges brought against them are: killing of three Hindu men including prominent physician Hem Bagchi in Purbadhala Rajpara, looting of their houses on May 1971; abduction and torture of Abdul Goni of Barha village on July 25; abduction and killing of Abdul Khaleque Talukder of Barha village, looting and torching of his house on August 21; abduction and killing of Mahir Uddin of Barha village on August 27; abduction of four people from different parts of Purbadhala upazila, killing of two of them in between November 12 and 16; abduction and killing of Siraj Ali Mandal of Moudam village on November 20; and rape of a woman on November 25, 1971.