3 collaborators' charge hearing Sep 30

Hearing on forming war crimes charges against Sheikh Sirajul Haq aka Siraj Master , Abdul Latif and Khan Akram Hossain from Bagerhat has been fixed on Sep 30.

International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT) headed by Judge M Enayetur Rahim took into cognisance allegations brought against them and set the date for hearing.

The judge also rejected the bail plea of the accused Abdul Latif Talukder.

Tribunal appointed Abul Asad as lawyer of Siraj Master at the State’s expense.

Prosecutor Syedul Haq Suman and Sheikh Mushfiq Kabir submitted the allegations of war crimes against the three at the office of the tribunal’s register on Sunday.

At that time Syedul Haq told the journalists that allegations of eight crimes against humanity including killing, mass murder, robbery and forced conversion during the liberation war have been brought against the three.

Of these six allegations are against Siraj Master and four each against Abdul Latif and Khan Akram.

A case against 12 people, including Siraj Master for murdering 42 persons at Shankharikathi bazar in Bagerhat, rape, plundering and setting houses on fire was filed way back in 2009.

Nimai Chandra Das, son of one murder victim Jitendra Nath Das, filed the case. Later, the case was transferred to tribunal.

Tribunal-1 issued the arrest warrant on June 10. On June 11, Kachua Police station arrested Latif Talukder. Akram Hossain and Siraj Master were arrested on June 19 and July 20 respectively.

After a long investigation, prosecution team formally brought allegations against the three at ICT.

The investigation team of the prosecution said the accused had joined the Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army to thwart Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

They were trained in Khulna Ansar camp. They along with other Razakars took part in murder, rape, plunder, arson attack, forced conversion and other crimes against humanity in various parts of Bagerhat during the Liberation War, said the investigation team.