Three ‘Razakar’ brothers of Habiganj indicted, war crimes trial starts

The International Crimes Tribunal has started the trial of two siblings and their cousin for their roles as Razakars during the 1971 Liberation War.

The trio, Muhibur Rahman Barha Mia, his younger brother Mujibur Rahman Angur Mia and their cousin Abdur Razzak of Habiganj’s Baniachang Upazila, were indicted on Tuesday.

The three-member bench led by Justice Md Anwarul Haque also set the next hearing for Oct 21.

The three have been accused of participating in four incidents of crimes against humanity like murder, kidnap, detention, oppression, loot, arson and rapes.

On May 17, the prosecution pressed charges against the trio who were members of the Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army during the war.

Subsequently a warrant for Razzak’s arrest was issued.

Barha Mia and Angur Mia are already in prison.

The tribunal had issued arrest warrant for the two on Feb 10 and Baniachang police arrested them hours later. They were produced before the tribunal on Feb 12.

Then, Razzak was arrested on May 19 in Moulvibazar.

Barha Mia, 65, is a former chairman of Khagaurha Union in Baniachang, and Angur Mia, 60, is the Union’s current chairman.

The investigation into the allegations against these two had started on Feb 11 last year and was finished by Apr 28 this year.

The case’s investigation officer recorded statements of 21 witnesses.

The report on the findings says that the Razakar camp and torture cell at Khagaura village was located in the residence of Nezam-e-Islam’s MNA Syed Kamrul Ahsan during the War of Independence.

Elder brother of Barha Mia and Angur Mia, ‘Kalamdhar’, was the head of the Khagaura Union peace committee while their younger brother ‘Mostafa’ was the Razakar commander.

Wife of Freedom Fighter Akal Mia, Bhingraj Bibi, in 2009 filed the war crimes case accusing six, including the trio at the Habiganj Judicial Magistrate’s Court. It was later transferred to the war crimes tribunal.​

The first charge against them concerns the Nov 11, 1971 murder of Freedom Fighters Akal Ali and Rajab Ali and hiding their bodies. 

They had also allegedly accompanied the Pakistani occupation force in the attack, arson, and looting of the house of Gen MA Rob, one of the organisers of the Liberation War.

The third charge is of helping the Pakistani army rape the wife of Manjab Ali and the younger sister of Allat Mia on the same day. Mia’s sister later killer herself.

The fourth charge is for the abduction and torture of Ansar Ali. The man was permanently maimed due to the physical torment.