EX-JP MP charged for war crimes

The International Crimes Tribunal has charged former Member of Parliament of Jatiya Party (JP) Shakhawat Hossain including nine people for Abduction, confinement, torture and rape in Liberation war of 1971.

The eight others, who will be prosecuted, are Sheikh Md Mojibur Rahman, Md Billal Hossain Biswas, Md Ibrahim Hossain, MA Aziz Sardar, Abdul Aziz Sardar, Kazi Ohidul Islam, Md Lutfur Morhal and Md Abdul Khalek.

The court has fixed January 31 for witnesses depositions in the case.

Three members of the bench headed by tribunal chairman Justice Md. Anwarul Islam issued this on Wednesday.

JP leader Shakhawat Hossain and Billal Hossain are in jail now while the others are absconding.

Shakhawat Hossain, who is the religious affairs secretary of JP, had been a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

He was elected MP from Jessore-6 on a Jamaat ticket in 1991, but left the party before expiry of the term and joined the BNP.