War crimes suspect 'Koshai Siraj' arrested

War crimes suspect Sheikh Sirajul Haque aka Siraj Master, infamously known as 'Koshai Siraj', has been arrested from Bagerhat, police say.

He was detained around 10:30pm Monday from Dema village in the district's Sadar Upazila, Bagerhat Model Police Station OC Md Ali Azam Khan told bdnews24.com.

He said the arrest came after the International Crimes Tribunal issued an arrest warrant for him on June 10 this year.

"Siraj had fled the area in 2009. Police raided Dema village on a tip-off that he has returned," Khan said.

Siraj, accused in the case over crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, would be sent to Dhaka on Tuesday morning, he added.

He is accused of premeditated mass murder in Bagerhat during the war, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Md Helal Uddin, who is investigating the case.

He on Monday night told bdnews24.com over telephone that Siraj and 25-30 unidentified armed men on May 5, 1971 raided Shankharikathi Bazar in Bagerhat’s Kachua Upazila and set fire to and looted establishments. They also killed 42 people.

The killings later came to be known as ‘Shankharikathi massacre’.

'Koshai Siraj' is also accused of killing up to 700 people at Rampal Upazila's Dakra village, seven at Sadar Upazila's Chulkathi village and 42 people at Ranjitpur village, 18 at Kandaparha village and five people at Kochua Sadar, he said.

Helal Uddin said their preliminary investigation into the massacres in Bagerhat during 1971 has found proof that Siraj led all these genocide.

Sheikh Sirajul Haque is the son of late Harej Uddin Sheikh of Gotaparha village at Bagerhat Sadar Upazila.

After independence, he left Gotaparha village and settled at Dema village with his family.