Bangladesh: Verdict in war crimes cases against Satkhira Jamaat chief any day

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday announced that it would deliver the verdict in the war crimes case against Satkhira district Jamaat-e-Islami amir Md Abdul Khalek Mondal and Khan Rokunuzzaman any day.

The tribunal announced the schedule on completion of case summing up arguments from both the prosecution and the defence lawyers.

Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chamon, placing her rebuttal after the defence lawyers’ case summing up arguments, demanded capital punishment for the two accused claiming that they could prove all the six charges against them.

She argued that the witnesses identified the accused as offenders and the duo, being active members of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat, joined Razakar force.

Citing evidences given by the prosecution witnesses, she submitted that the accused persons, being members of Razakar force, had committed crimes of murders, abduction, torture, rapes and arson attacks on houses after looting during the country’s liberation war at different places of Satkhira Sadar and Kalaroa thana area in the then Satkhira subdivision.

Defence lawyers — Abdus Sobhan Tarafdar and Gazi MH Tamim — claimed innocence of their clients.

Khalek, 72, who had been arrested was in the dock while Rokonuzzanan, 64, is facing trial in absentia.

The tribunal indicted four Satkhira suspects — Khalek, Rokonuzzanan, M Abdullah-Al-Baki, 103, and Zahirul Islam, 65, on March 5, 2018 on six counts of crimes against humanity for killing six people, torturing 14 people and raping two women in Satkhira.

Their trial began on April 15, 2018.

As Baki and Zahirul died while the trial was in progress, the tribunal dropped their names from the charge sheets.

The prosecution produced 17 witnesses to prove the six charges against the accused.

None testified for the accused people.

New Age