5 Trishal Razakars sentenced to life for 1971 crimes

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) has sentenced six Razakars from Trishal upazila of Mymensingh to life term imprisonment in a case of crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation in 1971.

A three-member panel of the ICT-1 headed by Justice Md Shahinur Islam pronounced the judgment on Monday. The two members of the judges’ panel are- Justice Md Abu Ahmed Jamadar and Justice KM Hafizul Alam.

The death-row convicts are Dr Khandakar Golam Sabbir Ahmed, Md Harmuj Ali, Fakhruzzaman, Abdus Sattar and Khandakar Golam Rabbani. Of them, Fakhruzzaman and Golam Rabbani are absconding.

Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon, Rezia Sultana Chomon, Barrister Tapos Kanti Baul represented the state in the court while lawyers Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar, Mizanul Islam and Gazi M H Tamim stood for the convicts. 

On May 19, 2015, Rahima Khatun, wife of martyred freedom fighter commander Abdur Rahman, filed the case against Jatiya Party lawmaker from Mymensingh-7 (Trishal) constituency MA Hannan, Jamaat leaders Fakhruzzaman and Golam Rabbani for their involvement in crimes during in 1971. 

Later, the involvement of five more people was found in the investigation, and a total of eight people were charged in this case. MA Hannan, his son Rafiq Sajjad and another accused Mizanur Rahman Montu died in jail while trial proceedings were ongoing.

On July 11, 2016, the investigation agency published the final report of the investigation against eight people including Hannan. Md Matiur Rahman, the investigating officer of the case, completed the investigation from July 28, 2015 to July 11, 2016.

On October 1 of the same year, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against the eight accused in this case. Later that day MA Hannan and his son Rafiq Sajjad were arrested in Dhaka. The remaining three were arrested in Mymensingh Sadar and Trishal.