The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has sentenced former Naogaon district ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Rezaul Karim Montu and two others to death for committing crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
A three-member panel of the tribunal, led by its chairman Justice Shahinur Islam, delivered the verdict on Tuesday in presence of two of the three convicts.
The two other death-row convicts are Md Nazrul Islam and Md Shaheed Mondol. Nazrul Islam is absconding, while the other two are in prison.
The tribunal Registrar Mesbah Uddin Ahmed and state prosecutor Abul Kalam Azad confirmed the matter.
The three judges of the ICT-1 read out the 144-page summary of the judgment one by one, as tribunal chairman Justice Md Shahinur Islam delivered the sentencing portion. The tribunal found the convicts guilty in all three charges.
Lawyers Abdus Sattar Palowan and Gazi MH Tamim stood for the defence, while Prosecutor Syed Haidar Ali, Abul Kalam Azad and Tapas Kumar Bol represented the state.
Expressing satisfaction over the judgment, Syed Haider Ali said the victims have finally got justice through this verdict.
Defence counsel Gazi MH Tamim, however, said they will appeal against the judgment with the apex court and they are hopeful that the Appellate Division would set his clients free.
Rezaul Karim Montu was the ameer of the Joypurhat Jamaat-e-Islami from 1986 to 1991. A student of Rajshahi University at the time, he was actively involved in Jamaat-e-Islami during the Liberation War. The other two convicts were supporters of Jamaat.
Rezaul Karim Montu, who was living in Joypurhat Sadar Upazila, was arrested on February 11 in 2017. The building he lived in is known as the ‘Razakar building,’ or a den of collaborators. Shaheed Mondol was arrested on February 12 in 2017.
Besides killing seven people in Naogaon during the Liberation War in 1971, the convicts were accused of kidnapping, torturing, looting and arson.
The investigation team of the prosecution started the investigation against the three accused on October 18 in 2016. Following the investigation, they filed a formal chargesheet with the tribunal on November 30 in 2017. The following year, the trial on three complaints of crimes against humanity began.
Complaint-1 states that the accused attacked Ranahar village under Paharpur union of Badalgachhi in Naogaon on October 7 in 1971, from approximately 4 pm to 7:30 pm and killed innocent pro-independence Saheb Ali, Akam Uddin, Azim Uddin Mandal and Mozaffar Hossain. They looted 10-12 houses and torched them on fire.
Complaint-2 said that the accused attacked the Khonjagari village at Paharpur union of Badalgachhi in Naogaon on October 8 in 1971, from approximately 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm and killed innocent pro-independence Md. Nurul Islam. At that time they looted and torched 15-20 houses.
Complaint-3 states that the accused attacked the Malancha village under Paharpur union of Badalgachhi of Naogaon from approximately 5 pm on October 8, 1971, to the next day i.e. October 9 at approximately 5 pm and detained and tortured pro-independence Md. Kenar Uddin and Md. Akkas Ali. They were later abducted and taken to Kuthibari Bridge in Joypurhat where they were killed. During this period, the accused looted and torched 40-50 houses.
