Hasen Ali's 'war crimes' probe ends

A special tribunal has finished investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Kishoreganj resident Syed Md Hasan alias Hasen Ali during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued an arrest warrant for Ali on Apr 3 on charges of crimes against humanity.

He is currently on the run.

Tribunal's investigation body brought six charges against him for killing altogether 24 people, abducting 12 others, looting and setting on fire 125 houses.

Investigation officer Hari Debnath started investigation into Ali's alleged war crimes on July 7 last year, probe body coordinator Abdul Mannan Khan said at a media conference at the committee's Dhanmondi safe home on Sunday.

It took just over a year to complete the investigation.

Ali's father Syed Musleh Uddin was chief of notorious 'Shanti Committee' -- local collaborators of Pakistan occupation army -- in war-time Kishoreganj sub-division.

In 1971, Ali lived in Kishoreganj's Hazratnagar.

On April 23, 1971, Pakistan army captured Tarail and set up a camp there.

Ali continued his collaboration with the army following his father's footsteps, according to the investigators.

He was later appointed local commander of the 'Razakar' -- serving as Pakistan army's collaborator.

He came to be known as ‘Razakar OC’ and ‘Razakar Daroga’ of Tarail upazila.

Charges against Ali

1) Looting and setting fire to seven houses of Hasan Ahmmed alias Hachu Bepari on April 27, 1971.

2) Killing Tofazzal Hossain alias Lalu Bhuiyan at his home, abducting two others and confining another on Aug 23.

3) Killing 12 people, including Acrur Pal, looting and torching 10 houses in Palparha locality of Shimulhati village on Sept 9.

4) Killing eight people, including Satish Ghosh, on Sept 27 at Brogaon village, abducting and confining 10 people, and looting goods worth Tk 25,000.

5) Abducting and killing Kamini Kumar Ghosh and Jiban Chakrabarty of Araira village in Tarail and ransacking six houses on Oct 8.

6) Looting and torching 100 houses at Sachail village in Tarail on Dec 11 and killing one Rashid Ali Bepari.