Two of Shariatpur war crime suspects indicted

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday framed four charges against two Shariatpur men, who allegedly committed crimes against humanity and genocide during the Liberation War in 1971.

The accused are Sulaiman Mollah, 84, of Kashipur Muslimpara and Edris Ali Sarder alias Gazi Edris, 67, of Paschim Kashabhog of the district. Of them, Edris is on the run.

The three-member tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque also fixed May 29 for recording the prosecution's opening statement and witness's testimony.

On November 16 last year, the prosecution pressed the four charges against the duo.

During indictment, the tribunal said, "The formal charge and the statement of witnesses prima facie demonstrate that the accused persons enthusiastically sided with the policy and plan of the Pakistani occupation army and had allegedly carried out horrific activities of genocide and crimes against humanity and other inhumane acts..."

"The accused persons shall be presumed innocent until they are found guilty," it said.

According to the prosecution, Sulaiman was a Muslim League leader who in 1971 formed the Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini in Shariatpur. Edris was a leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and joined Razakars.

FOUR CHARGES

The first charge says Sulaiman and Edris, along with 100 to 150 Pakistani troops, attacked Angaria, Kashabhog, and Modhyapara in Palang upazila (now Shariatpur sadar) on May 22, killed 200 Hindus and one Abdus Samad Sikder, and looted and burnt all houses.

The next day the accused, along with 100 Pakistani army men, attacked Malopara and Rudrakar villages and shot dead a priest before looting and burning all the houses, says the second charge.

They forcibly took around 20 women and 10 to 15 men from the villages to a Pakistani army camp in Madaripur, where the women were raped for three days before being released and the men shot dead, the second charge adds.

According to the third charge, the duo along with eight to 10 Pakistani army men attacked and looted the home of one Shailendra Krishna Paul in June and killed two Hindu guards.

The fourth charge says the accused and the Pakistani army intimidated around 1,500 people into leaving Bangladesh between March 25 and December 10.

MOULVIBAZAR CASE

Meanwhile, the tribunal asked the prosecution to submit the investigation report, if any, on July 13 in the case filed against three Moulvibazar accused.

The accused are Abdul Aziz alias Habul, Abdul Mannan, and Abdul Matin, of Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar. Of the three, Aziz and Mannan are now in jail while Matin is on the run.

Yesterday, the prosecution sought three months to complete the probe.