War Crimes tribunal's verdict on two Kishoreganj men on Wednesday

War crimes verdict of Kishoreganj’s Syed Md Hossain and Md Moslem Pradhan will be announced on Wednesday.

The two men face six charges including murder, arson and looting during Bangladesh’s War of Independence.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) concluded the trial on Mar 7 after hearing the arguments and kept its verdict pending.

The ICT’s prosecution wing investigated the charges against the two from November 2014 to September 2015.

Police arrested Moslem in July  2015 from a village in Kishoreganj’s Nikli Upazila after the ICT had issued arrest warrant while Hossain is absconding.

In May last year, the trial began after the court indicted them of murdering 62 people, kidnapping and detaining 11, and ransacking and burning more than 250 houses during the 1971 war.

Md Moslem Pradhan

Md Moslem Pradhan, 67, was born on Dec 31, 1948, hailed from Kamarhati village in Kishoreganj.

During the Liberation War of 1971, Moslem is alleged to have been a ‘Razakar Commander’ of ‘Nikli Union’ and is accused of individually, and jointly, committing a number of atrocities.

Since then he has been involved with politics as a member of the BNP.

Syed Md Hossain

Syed Md Hossain, 64, was born on Sept 15, 1951. In 1971, Hossain lived at Hoybat Nagar in the Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila.

He passed his SSC examinations in 1967 from Kishoreganj High School and passed his HSC exams 1969 and received a Bachelor’s Degree in 1975 from Gurudoyal College.

Though a member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League prior to the outbreak of the war, he joined the Pakistan Democratic Party during it.

He is accused of a number of crimes during the war in the then Kishoreganj Sub Division and was commonly known as the 'Razakar Daroga' of Nikli Thana.

Charges

Charge 1: In August 1971, the Syed Md Hossain, alongside local peace committee members, forcefully converted Hindu residents of Dampara village in the then Kishoreganj Sub Division.

Charge 2: On Sept 2, 1971, Syed Md Hossain, alongside several other Razakars, abducted ‘Budhu’, Shundar Ali, Mohar Ali and Md Kashem Ali of the Nikli Thana Sadar from their homes and confined them to the local jail.

Charge 3: On Sept 6, 1971, Syed Md Hossain and Md Moslem Prodhan, alongside Pakistani army personnel and 70-80 Razakars, attacked Kishoreganj’s Gurui village, tortured civilians, plundered and set fire to houses and shot 26 locals to death.

Charge 4: On Sept 23, 1971, Syed Md Hossain, alongside 50-60 Razakars descended upon Dampara village, taking 39 Hindu men and confined them to the jail at the Nikli Police Station. Women from the village were raped and the detainees were tortured and then 34 were shot to death. Another detainee died later from bullet wounds.

Charge 5: On Oct 19, 1971, Syed Md Hossain and Md Moslem Prodhan, alongside others, captured freedom fighter Abdul Malek at his house in Kishoreganj’s Purbagram village. Then, at the instruction of Hossain, Prodhan shot Malek to death.

Charge 6: On Nov 20, 1971, Syed Md Hossain aided Razakars and Pakistani army personnel in surrounding and killing freedom fighters Khairul Jahan and Md Selim, Abdur Rashid and Jalal Uddin. Hossain then committed ‘inhumane acts’ by causing blatant indignity to two of the dead bodies.