Rangpur War Crimes In 1971

Punishment to Al-Badr leader demanded

28 March 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Rangpur

Leaders of different political and cultural bodies in Rangpur demanded punishment to a local Jamaat leader for his alleged war crimes in 1971. They said the then Al-Badr Commander A T M Azharul Islam should be tried for killing scores of innocent people during the war of liberation in 1971. The leaders raised the demand at rallies yesterday at Rangpur Shaheed Minar and Lahirihat killing ground held in observance of Rangpur Cantonment Attack Day. The speakers said Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Azharul, who led Al-Badr in Rangpur, also killed a number of local freedom fighters and intellectuals. Freedom Fighter Rafiqul Islam Golap alleged that Azharul presided a meeting of infamous Al-Badr on August 17 in 1971 in Rangpur where its members vowed to kill freedom fighters and intellectuals of the district. Secretary of Sammilito Sangskritik Jote of Rangpur Shawkat Hossain Ranga said Azharul was directly involved in the killing of many freedom fighters. Ranga claimed that Azharul led the killing of six teachers and wife of a teacher of Rangpur Carmichael College in the first week of September in 1971. Awami League leader and freedom fighter Tipu Munshi MP said the government has taken the war crime issue seriously. Munshi hoped that the government would put Azharul and other war criminals under trial this time as people are now strongly united on this issue.