Dhaka, Nov 1 (bdnews24.com)—The second war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh has set Nov 4 to frame charges against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abul Kalam Azad, also known as Bachchu Razakar, to decide whether trial would begin against him over charges of crimes against humanity.
The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal–2 set the date on Thursday, the day previously set to frame the charges.
The tribunal had set Thursday to deliver order following the hearing in this case on Oct 21.
The ICT-2 on Oct 7 decided to continue trial of Azad in absentia as he remained absconding and did not turn up even after issuing public notices.
The Prosecution on Sept 2 had submitted former charges linking him to crimes against humanity including genocide, murder, rape, arson, loot, abduction, deportation and persecution.
Prosecutor Shahidur Rahman on Thursday said the Pakistan Army entered Faridpur on Apr 21, 1971. On that day, Azad along with the Pakistan troops murdered eight people at Faridpur's well-known Jagatbandhu Ashram and later killed Kolaron village Zamindar (landlord)Sudhanshu Mohon Roy and his son Monimoy Roy, he added.
Bachchu Razakar is said to have been an accomplice of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed in Faridpur district during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Bachchu was a member of Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha when he was a student of Rajendra College in Faridpur in 1971.
After Mar 25, 1971, he formed a group of his own which committed crimes against humanity in different places in Faridpur during the war.
The ICT-2 on Sept 9 accepted charges against Abul Kalam Azad and ordered his arrest and to produce him at the court by Sept 23.
Though, the arrest warrant against him was issued in April, police failed to find him after raids at his office and residence.
A police report, submitted to the tribunal on Sept 23, said that Azad, a TV show host, was in hiding and couldn't be traced. Quoting family members police earlier said that he had slipped through security and fled to Pakistan.
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