War crimes: Al-Badr leader Khalilur gets death penalty

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 has sentenced Al-Badr commander Khalilur Rahman of Durgapur Upazilla in Netrokona to death in a case filed for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. 

Justice Md Shahinur Islam, Chairman of the three-judge panel of the ICT-1, passed the order on Tuesday morning.

Earlier on September 11, the ICT-1 set September 13 for pronouncing judgment in the case.

The tribunal on July 18, 2022, kept the trial on CAV, curia advisory vault (a Latin legal term, meaning court awaits judgment) as both the prosecution and defence concluded their legal arguments in the case on that day.

There were initially five accused in the case, Khalilur Rahman, Md Azizur Rahman, Ashok Ali, Md Shahnewaj and Ramjan Ali. Of the five, all but Khalilur, were arrested by the police. Ramjan died in police custody on September 30, 2016, while the case was on investigation stage. 

The tribunal on March 12, 2018, framed five charges against the four accused. But the three arrested accused died of old age in custody at hearing stage, leaving Khalilur as the sole accused in the case.

Khalilur, who was a member of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, in 1971, joined in the locally formed Razakar Bahini. Subsequently, he became the commander of the local Al-Badr Bahini and committed heinous crimes against humanity in the locality.