Khokon Razakar verdict any day

The verdict in the war crimes trial of BNP leader Zahid Hossain alias Khokon Razakar is expected any day.

The International Crimes tribunal-1 headed by Justice Enayetur Rahim concluded his trial in absentia on Thursday.

On Apr 9, arguments took place on statements of witnesses and other evidence in five out of 11 charges against the BNP leader.

Apr 15 was fixed for wrapping up the arguments.

The prosecution on Apr 2 ended recording the testimony of witnesses.

The tribunal on Oct 9 last year indicted Khokon Razakar levelling 11 charges of murder, genocide, arson, rape, loot and forcible religious conversion against him.

File Photo

The BNP leader has gone into hiding since the war crimes investigators started their probe.

The prosecution submitted the charges on June 23 along with a plea for a warrant of arrest.

According to the tribunal investigators, Khokon Razakar had campaigned for Jamaat-e-Islami in the 1970 national elections.

After independence, he joined the BNP and became the Vice-President of Faridpur’s Nagarkanda BNP unit.

He was elected mayor to the Nagarkanda Municipality in 2011 and had been absconding since taking oath.

Probe on his war-time role started on Apr 16 last year.