War crimes verdict on Shariatpur’s Idris Ali on Monday

The war crimes tribunal will announce its verdict on Shariatpur’s Moulvi Idris Ali Sardar on Monday.

The man, now absconding, is charged with mass murder, abduction, torture, loot, arson and forced deportation of Hindu Bengalis in Shariatpur and Madaripur during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

The matter was included on Sunday's cause list for the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), when its chairman Justice Anwarul Haque fixed Monday to give its decision, said Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum.

The trial concluded on Nov 2 with closing arguments by the prosecution and the defence. The court had then kept its verdict pending.

Solaiman Molla aka Solaiman Moulvi, the other person arrested in the case, died during treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Oct 25.

The trial began on May 2 with their indictment in four incidents from the 1971 war against Pakistan.

Idris Ali hails from Pashchim Kashabhog village at Palang Thana of Shariatpur Sadar Upazila’s Chitlia Union. Solaiman Molla was from Kashipur village from the same union.

Solaiman Molla joined the Muslim League in 1963 and became the party’s organising secretary at Palang Thana, according to the chargesheet.

He later joined the Jamiatul Ulamaye Islame and was defeated in the provincial council polls of 1970.

He is charged with forming a Peace Committee and a Razakar force in his area to assist the Pakistan Army in violently suppressing the freedom struggle by committing war crimes.

Idris Ali was a leader of the Islami Chhatra Shango, then student front of Jamaat-e-Islami, during the 60s, according to the prosecution.

He joined the ‘Razakar Bahini’ when the war broke out and committed various war crimes. He was involved with Jamaat politics after the war ended.

Abdus Samad, an injured freedom fighter from Shariatpur, filed the case against three, including Idris Ali and Solaiman Molla on May 11, 2010.

The case was later transferred to the tribunal in Dhaka.    

The ICT's investigation arm pressed charges on Idris and Solaiman and the tribunal took the charges into cognisance on Dec 22 last year, indicting them on May this year.

Thirteen witnesses have testified for the prosecution conducted by lawyers Zead Al Malum, Rishikesh Shaha and Rezia Sultana Chaman.