ICT awards Jamaat’s Subhan capital punishment for killing ‘innocent people’

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan had led pro-Pakistani Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams in committing war crimes in Pabna district during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

The International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday awarded him the capital punishment for murdering ‘innocent people’.

The tribunal in its observation said Subhan and his accomplices had got hold of ordinary people from Ishwardi Central Jame Mosque and 'brutally' hacked them to death with swords.

“This cruelty and barbarism are hard to believe.”

The court said death penalty was the proper punishment for him.

The tribunal ordered him to be hanged unto death for murders of several hundred people including 20 who had taken shelter at Ishwardi Central Jame Mosque (Charge 1), six at Sahapur village (Charge 4) and around 300 in Sujanagar Police Station (Charge 6).

The court awarded him jail unto death for murdering five people at Juktitola village under Pakshi union (Charge 2), and kidnap and murders in Debottor village under Pabna Sadar.

He was given five-year jail term for kidnap, detention and torture of several people at Arankhola in Ishwardi (Charge 3).

Subhan can appeal to the Supreme Court against the tribunal verdict in 30 days.

He was acquitted in Charges 5, 8 and 9 as the prosecution could not prove them.

Death penalty

Charge 1: Pakistani Army, supported by Air Force, entered Pabna town torching houses and killing people on Apr 11, 1971. Around 200 unarmed people including Motaleb Ahmed Khan, Nazmul Haq Khan, ATM Shahiduzzman Nasim, Moazzem Hossain, Azizul Haq, Babar Ali Sarder, Azharuddin, Rafique Patwari and Barek Khalifa took shelter at Ishwardi Central Jame Mosque to escape the onslaught.

Subhan, then acting chief of the Jamaat’s Pabna district unit and vice-president of Pabna district Peace Committee, along with his accomplices, took Muazzem Hossain from Ishwardi Central Jame Mosque to Ishwardi railway coil depot and stabbed him to death on Apr 17, 1971.

Subhan and his accomplices whisked away Awami League supporter Motaleb Khan and his son Nazmul Huq Khan from the same mosque and took them to Ishwardi railway coil depot where they were tortured to death.

He was awarded capital punishment under Sections 3(2)(a)(h) of the International Crimes Tribunal Act, 1973.

Charge 4:

Subhan and his accomplices prepared on Apr 11 a list of independence supporters, Hindus and freedom fighters in a plan to kill them. Under his leadership, local Biharis and Pakistani army started an operation on May 2 in Shahpur village to kill the listed people.

In his presence, Pakistani soldiers executed Chand Ali Pramanik, Akhter Pramanik, Anar Pramanik and Hamez Uddin Pramanik.

They also killed Rajob Ali Biswas, his friend Shamsul Huq, Md Ali Sarder and several others of the same village.

During the attack, they looted property from the houses of Chand Ali Pramanik, Principal Toyob Hossain, Rahman Sarder and 10-15 others, and set them on fire.

Sohban was given death penalty under Sections 3(2)(a)(g)(h) of the ICT Act.

Charge 6:

Between 6am and 2pm on May 11, Subhan took 300 Pakistan Army men with the intent to destroy a Bangali nationalist group and a Hindu religious group, in whole or in part, to the villages of Momrajpur, Kuripara, Tarabaria, Fokitpur, Satbaria, Kandarppur, Sindurpur, Nischintapur, Gupinpur, Harirumpur, Shemnagar, Naruhahi, Singhanagar, Bhatpara and Gupinpur of Satbaria Union under Sujanagar Police Station.

They attacked the villagers and abducted about 400 leaders and workers of the Awami League, Hindus, and supporters of the Liberation War. They killed them in a planned way.

At the time of these atrocities, many houses in those villages were plundered and set on fire by Subhan and the Pakistani troops.

He was awarded the capital punishment under Sections 3(2)(a)(g)(h) of the Act.

Jail unto death

Charge 2:

Subhan, Pakistani forces and Biharis attacked Gopalpur and Baghoir villages under the Ishwardi Police Station where they torched houses of Korban Ali and others after looting valuables. They abducted Tulu Khatun, wife of Aijuddin, and his son Israil and brother Taizuddin from the house on Apr 13.

He, along with his accomplices, abducted Joynuddin Member, Ahsan Ali Engineer, Rustom Ali, Haras Uddin Pramanik and Ismail Hossain of Juktitola village, and lined up them at gunpoint in front of the Juktitola Govt Primary School. Pakistani army fired at them, killing Joynuddin, Ahsan Ali, Ismail, Haras and Taizuddin. Rustom, Israil, and Tulu survived with severe bullet injuries.

Subhan was sentenced to jail unto death under Sections 3(2)(a)(g) of the Act.

Charge 7:

Subhan led the Pakistan Army to the houses of Rustom Sheikh and others, the field of Bharara High School and Nurpur Power Station of village Bharara under the Sadar Police Station on May 5 and 6.

They systematically killed about 19 people in those places including Abdul Jabber, Siraj Sheikh, Nurul Islam Sheikh, Rustam Sheikh and Abdul Mazidul Sheikh, the sons of the late Gaher Ali Sheikh, and others. They also committed abductions and torture.

Subhan was awarded jail unto death under Sections 3(2)(a)(g) of the Act.

Five-year jail

Charge 3:

Subhan, his accomplices, and Pakistani soldiers torched the houses of Alauddin and Riazuddin Mondal of Aronkhola village after looting valuables in the last week of April.

He and his accomplices abducted Joynuddin and Ansar Commander Alauddin Mia from Aronkhola and confined them for three days in the district council bungalow at Ishwardi on May 16.

Subhan was sentenced to five years in jail under Sections 3(2)(a)(g)(h) of the Act.