Dhaka, February 16, 2008 (bdnews24.com)— A leader of Islami Oikya Jote Saturday accused acting secretary of the food and disaster management ministry Md Ayub Mia of being a war criminal.
IOJ chairman Misbaur Rahman Chowdhury read out a list of 15 alleged war criminals at a press conference at his office in Dilkusha, calling on the caretaker administration to immediately bring them to justice.
Also on the list were Jamaat-e-Islami's Amir Motiur Rahman Nizami, Jamaat's secretary general Ali Ahsan Md Mujahid and Islami Bank chairman Abu Nasser Mohammad Abduz Zahir.
Misbaur told bdnews24.com, "It is the moral duty of the present government to remove Dr Ayub Miah from his job. For building a corruption-free country such government officials have to be fired."
He said Ayub was commander of Barisal town's Al Badr Bahini during the 1971 Liberation War, and that he killed many freedom fighters in Barisal during the war.
Ayub told bdnews24.com that he was a school boy in 1971.
"Those who bring these allegations should be punished if they can't prove them," said Ayub.
Misbaur also demanded withdrawal of the state of emergency from the country. He said an election schedule has to be announced quickly to restore democracy.
The IOJ chairman urged the government to create an environment for fair elections by releasing the country's two detained former prime ministers.
Oikya Jote vice chairman Nurul Islam Khan told bdnews24.com: "The caretaker government should immediately remove Dr Ayub Miah."
"A judicial enquiry committee should be formed to probe into the allegations against him and try him as per the findings."
Nurul also demanded an investigation into the property of Ibne Sina Clinic owner and Islami Bank chairman Abu Nasser; he urged the government to try Abu Nasser for war crimes.
Nurul said Abu Nasser had commanded the Al Badr Bahini in Chittagong during the Liberation War.
When contacted, Abu Nasser told bdnews24.com: "I was not involved with Al Badr, Al Shams or the Razakar Bahini in 1971. I did not rape anybody, or plunder any property."
Oikya Jote general secretary Moniruzzaman Rabbani demanded of the finance adviser and Bangladesh Bank governor to investigate the allegations against the late former chairman of Islami Bank and former Al Badr commander Muhammad Yunus for financing Islamist militancy during his tenure as the bank's chairman.
Others accused of war crimes on the IOJ list include: Jamaat central leaders Abdur Razzak and Mir Quasem Ali, former MP Chowdhury Farid Uddin Ahmed, ASM Ruhul Quddus, Sardre Abdus Salam, Dubai-based businessman Abdul Hye Faruqui, London expatriate Chowdhury Main Uddin, business man Ashraf Hossain and New York expatriate Md Shamsul Haque.
bdnews24.com/akm/sm/mi/aan/eh/am/rah/1930/hours
