JP MP, son seeks bail

Jatiya Party lawmaker MA Hannan and his son Rafique Sajjad yesterday sought bail in a case accusing them and six other Mymensingh men of committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971.

The duo's counsel Mizanul Islam reasoned before International Crimes Tribunal-1 that Hannan was aged and, as a sitting lawmaker, wanted to take part in an ongoing parliament session while the duo were not mentioned in the primary charges. Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon opposed the petition and the three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque fixed February 4 to pass an order.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman submitted a progress report regarding investigations against the eight men and sought four months to complete the probe. The court granted time till March 23.

Hannan, the alleged general secretary of Mymensingh district Peace Committee; his son Rafique Sajjad, Khandakar Golam Sabbir Ahmed, Mizanur Rahman Mintu and Hormuj Ali are now in jail. Mohammad Abdus Sattar, Mohammad Fakruzzaman and Khandakar Golam Rabbani are on the run.

Moreover, the tribunal directed the prosecution to submit on March 22 formal charges, if they have any, against five men of Moulvibazar's Rajnagar upazila over their alleged involvement in crimes committed in 1971.

Yesterday was fixed for the submission but Prosecutor Mohammad Ali said he received the investigation reports and other documents on January 21 and needed two months to scrutinise those before making the submission.

On January 20, the tribunal's investigation agency completed the probe against them and said to have found evidence of their "involvement" in six incidents of crimes.

Yunus Ahmed, 71, and Ujer Ahmed Chowdhury, 63, are in jail while Samsul Hossain Tarafder, 65, Nesar Ali, 75, and Mobarak Mia, 66, on the run.