WAR CRIMES: Shakhawat gets death sentence

Former Jamaat MP from Jessore Md Shakhawat Hossain, 62, was on Wednesday sentenced to death while his seven war crimes accomplices to jail until death.
They were found guilty of committing war crimes at different places in the then Keshobpur thana in Jessore during the Liberation War.
The summary of a 768-page unanimous verdict of the three-judge International Crimes Tribunal-1 was
pronounced by the presiding judge, Justice Anwarul Haque, in a crowded courtroom in the Old High Court Building in the capital amid high security.
Life terms until death were handed to Md Billal Hossain Biswas, Md Ibrahim Hossain alias Ghungur Ibrahim, Sheikh Mohammad Mujibur Rahman alias Mujibur Rahman, Md A Aziz Sardar, son of late Ful Miah Sardar, Abdul Aziz Sardar son of late Ahmmad Sardar, Kazi Ohidul Islam alias Kazi Ohidus Salam and Md Abdul Khaleque Morol, all aged between 64 and 76.
They are from different villages of Keshobpur.
Shakhawat and Billal heard the verdict seated on the dock.
The others convicts were tried in absentia.
Justice Md Shahinur Islam read out parts of the verdict summary while Justice Md Shohrowardi was present.
The verdict left the option open to the government to get Shakahwat’s death sentence executed by a firing squad or hanging him.
In 1971, Shakhawat was involved with the politics of Jamaat while the others were not active in politics, according to the prosecution.
The tribunal found that Shakhawat was the leader of Chingra Razakar Camp at Keshobpur thana while the other seven were his accomplices and members of Razakar force.
None of the convicts’ family members were present in the courtroom, said Abdus Sattar Palwan, who defended Shakhawat and Billal.
The tribunal directed the home secretary and the inspector general of police to get the six absconding convicts arrested.
It also directed them to seek Inter-Pol’s assistance to nab them, if needed.
On December 24, 2015, nine war crimes suspects from Jessore was indicted, one of whom Lutfor Morol died in jail on May 6, 2016.
Shakhawat was handed death sentence as the tribunal found that his seven accomplices with several other Razakars force men caught local Awami League leader Chadtullo Gazi on 28th day of Bangla month of Ashwin, detained him for four days before Shakhawat shot him to death on the bank of the Kapataxmi River.
Shakhawat was handed the second death sentence and four of his co-accused – Ibrahim, Aziz, Aziz (2) and Khaleque were awarded life term until death as on Shakhawat’s order, his accomplices picked up an information source of freedom fighter Malek Sardar, tortured him in confinement at Chingra Razakar camp and was shot dead by Shakhawat on Ashwin 28 near Chingri Bazar and his body was dumped into Kapataxmi River.
The tribunal handed 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment to each of Shakhawat, Ibrahim, Aziz and Aziz (2) as on Shakhawat’s directive, they with 10-12 Razakar members picked up a girl from Boga on Ashwin 27, detained her at Chingri Bazar Razakar camp for three days when Shakhawat tortured and raped her.
Each of Shakhawat, Mujibur and Khaleque were awarded 10 years’ RI for picking up Nur Uddin Morol on Ashwin 25 during the Liberation War, tortured him brutally and later released him after taking a bond.
The tribunal awarded each of Shakhawat, Ibrahim, Aziz, Aziz (2), Lutfor and Khaleque to suffer 15 years in jail as it was proved that on Shakhawat’s instruction they captured FF information source Miron Sheikh in early Ashwin during the Liberation War and when Miron tried to escape, they shot him, took him to Chingri Bazar Razakar camp where they tortured him brutally and later threw him into river taking him to be dead.
The verdict says that their jail terms would run concurrently.
The life terms and other sentences of Shakhawat would get merged with his death sentences.
Prosecutor Zead-Al Malum expressed satisfaction over the verdict.
Defence lawyer Abdus Sattar Palwan said Shakhawat and Billal would appeal against the verdict.
During the trial 17 prosecution witnesses testified against the accused.
The defence produced no witnesses.
According to the prosecution, in 1971, Shakhawat was the commander of Chingra Razakar camp while his eight accomplices were its members.
A Jamaat leader Shakhawat was elected MP from the Keshabpur constituency in 1991.
Later, he joined BNP for a brief period and was elected MP on its ticket from the same constituency in the short-lived Parliament of mid-February 1996.
After BNP expelled him, he joined Jatiya Party led by former military dictator HM Ershad and became its presidium member.
This was the 26th verdict in as many war crimes cases in independent Bangladesh.
Until now, 24 war offenders were sentenced to death and 18 others to jail terms.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net