‘Arrest 2 Al Badr leaders’

The International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday issued warrants of arrest for two former Al Badr leaders Ashrafuzzaman Khan and Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, who stand accused of killings scores of leading Bengali intellectuals during the 1971 liberation war.

চৌধুরী মাঈনুদ্দীন ও আশরাফুজ্জামান খান

Both the accused are absconding.

Justice Obaidul Hassan-led ICT-2 issued the warrants of arrest after considering the charges levelled against them by the prosecution. A report has been sought by May 12 as to whether the two have been arrested or not.

Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badal brought the charges on Apr 28 after Tribunal prosecutor Saidur Rahman filed his probe report on Apr 25.

The charges said that the Al Badr was ‘put in charge’ to kill the intellectuals by the Pakistan military, that Ashrafuzzaman Khan was the ‘chief executor’ with Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin ‘operation in-charge’.

Both were said to be active member of Islami Chhatra Sangha – the student affiliate of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971. The Jamaat opposed Bangladesh's independence and sided with the Pakistani war effort in 1971.

The two have been charged with murdering 18 intellectuals – nine Dhaka University teachers, six journalists and three doctors – between Dec 10-14, 1971.

Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum later said Ashrafuzzaman was in New York and Mueen-Uddin was in London.

A total of 16 charges of crimes against humanity have been brought against them under five categories.