War crimes tribunal verdict against 2 Razakars today

A special tribunal is set to deliver its judgement on Wednesday in a war crimes case filed against two Kishoreganj razakars for their alleged involvement in the murder of over 60 people, arson and loot during the 1971 Liberation War.

Justice Anwarul Haque-led International Crimes Tribunal fixed the date on Tuesday.

Earlier on March 7, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 had kept the judgement on CAV, saying it would pronounce any day the verdict against Syed Mohammad Hossain, 65, and Moslem Prodhan, 68.

The tribunal had passed that order as it wrapped up the hearing of the case on that day. During the hearing, advocate Abdus Sattar Palwan argued for the acquittal of the two accused Mohammad Hossain and Moslem Prodhan, 68. Of the two, only Prodhan is in custody now.

"Prodhan is actually an innocent and poor farmer, who has nothing to do with those monstrous crimes, whereas Hossain was then sub-inspector of Nikli Police Station, who was in-charge of that station in 1971," Palwan had said in his argument.

The defence counsel`s argument was predominantly focused on the defence of Prodhan, referring different documents and testimonies of prosecution and defence witnesses for his case.

Senior prosecutor Tureen Afroz, however, said no special qualification was needed for becoming a Razakar.

"Anyone, regardless of his social and financial status, holding a gun could act as a Razakar. So defence`s argument in support of Pradhan cannot stand here," Tureen had said.

She also rebutted the defence argument on the timing of a particular fight, saying, it is just an argument for the sake of it, adding, "He (Palwan) is not denying the atrocities, the ferocity of the accused."

Tureen summed up her rebuttal by pleading capital punishment for the two accused, saying the defence has not been able to cast any doubt on prosecution case thus the case of the prosecution stands firmly.

Meanwhile, the senior prosecutor in her reaction to the newsmen after the day`s hearing, said, the prosecution for the first time has pleaded before the court to consider rape and forced conversion during the war as genocide, saying "we have submitted references of different international courts in support of our argument. It can open a new chapter or door which can become an example."

According to the prosecution, Prodhan was the Razakar commander of the then Nikli union, while Hossain was the commander of Nikli thana.

The prosecution on December 3, 2015, submitted formal charge in the case, pressing six charges of the crimes against humanity against the accused. The ICT-1 on January 7, 2016, took the charges into cognizance and indicted the duo on May 9, 2016.

The prosecution on June 5, 2016, submitted the opening statement, initiating the hearing of the case formally.