Tribunal wants charges May 31

International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday directed prosecutors to submit formal charges, if there were any, on May 31 against four Moulvibazar men allegedly involved in crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque with members Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi fixed the date following a petition moved by prosecutor Sheikh Moshfeq Kabir seeking two more months. He said the tribunal's investigation agency completed investigations on March 23 and handed over the report and other documents, which they were now scrutinising and hence needed time to submit the charges.

The accused Akmal Ali Talukdar, 76; Abdun Nur Talukdar alias Lal Miah, 62; Anis Miah, 76; and Abdul Mosabbir Miah, 64; are of Rajnagar upazila. Only Akmal is now in jail while the rest are on the run.

The agency said to have found evidence  over the four's involvement in two incidents centring the killing of 61 people, rape of six women and looting and torching of 136 houses in two villages.

During the Liberation War, Akmal was a member of a local Peace Committee, an anti-liberation organisation, while the three others were involved with the Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, it said.

After the Liberation War, Akmal did not get involved with any political party and the three are now involved with Jamaat-e-Islami's politics, it added.