Rajshahi war criminal Abdus Sattar to die
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday sentenced detained Abdus Sattar alias Tipu alias Tipu Sultan, 66, to death on charges of crimes against humanity in Rajshahi during the 1971 War of Independence.
Tribunal chairman Justice Md Shahinur Islam read out the operative part of the unanimous verdict while two other members, Justice Amir Hossain and Justice Md Abu Ahmed Jamadar, read out parts of the 177-page verdict.
Sattar of Raninagar under Boalia police station in Rajshahi city was in the dock.
In 1971, he was an activist of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and joined the infamous Razakar force.
Sattar, also a retired assistant professor of Gopalpur Degree College at Lalpur in Natore, was arrested on May 9, 2017 in a case with Motihar Police Station of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police under the Explosive Substance Act 1908 and shown arrested in the war crimes case on May 14, 2017.
He was charged on August 8, 2018 with two counts of crimes against humanity and the trial ended on October 17.
This was the 41st verdict in war crimes cases in Bangladesh.
The tribunal sentenced Sattar to death for abducting Babar Mandal from Shaheb Bazar of Rajshshi city on September 26, 1971, taking him to Shaheed Samsuzzoha Hall torture camp at Rajshashi University, torturing him in confinement there, and shooting him to death at the killing ground in the eastern side of the hall at midnight on September 27, 1971.
He was also sentenced to death for abducting 11 freedom fighters by attacking village Talaimari, Boalia, Rajshahi on November 2, 1971, taking them to the same torture camp of Razakar force, torturing them in confinement there for two days and shooting nine of them to death at the same killing ground on November 4, 1971.
The tribunal expressed dissatisfaction as the investigation agency did not investigate ‘countless’ killings at the killing ground at Shaheed Samsuzzoha Hall of Rajshshi University.
The tribunal observed that ‘keeping someone in unlawful confinement by itself is a kind of “torture’’.’
In May 1972, the convict was arrested under the Collaborators Order 1972 but got released on August 10, 1974.
Emerging from the tribunal, prosecutor Mokhlesur Rhman Badal expressed satisfaction over the judgement and said that the families of the victims got justice at last.
Defence lawyer Gazi MH Tamim said that his client was denied justice and would appeal against the verdicts.
During the trial, 14 prosecution witnesses were examined. No defence witnesses were produced.
Until now, 95 people were convicted of war crimes, of whom 69 were sentenced to death and 26 were jailed.
Six of the convicts have so far been executed.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
