Md Mobarak Hossain from Brahmanbaria’s Akaura, has been sentenced to death for war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, announced his verdict on Monday.
Two among the five charges against the 64-year-old have been proved, the judges said in the 92-page verdict.
He has been handed death on the charge of killing of 33 civilians on the banks of Ganga Sagar Dighi at Akhaurha’s Tanmandayl village on Aug 22, 1971.He was awarded life imprisonment for the abduction and murder of Abdul Khaleque of Satian Village at Brahmanbaria.
Hossain clad in a white Panjabi was produced in the courtroom at 11:10am. Born in Akhaura, he was associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami during the war. A businessman, he is named in the district administration’s list of Pakistani Army collaborators in Brahmanbaria.
He changed sides by joining the Awami League. He was the organising secretary of the ruling party’s unit in Akahura’s Mogra Union until he was expelled in 2011.
The death penalty was celebrated at Shahbagh, where supporters of the Ganajagaran Manch had been awaiting the tribunal’s decision.
Defence lawyer Tajul Islam in his reaction said: “We believe the tribunal has failed to analyse the evidence and documents in this case. Mobarak did not commit a crime so grave that he should be put to death.”
“This isn’t a just verdict. We’ll file an appeal in the Supreme Court,” said Islam.
The defence lawyer also alleged that prosecution witnesses had given contradictory testimonies.
“The contradiction suggests they are lying, but the court has accepted that as the truth and gave its verdict.”
“We’re satisfied that he was found guilty of two charges. We’ve been able to prove that he was a Razakar,” said prosecutor Sahidur Rahman.
About the other three charges he was acquitted of, he said: “We will not call it a failure. We will know why he was acquitted of those once we get the full verdict.”
Hossain was handed the death penalty for the killing of 33 unarmed civilians on the west bank of Ganga Sagar Dighi at Akhaurha’s Tanmandayl village on Aug 22, 1971. – Agencies
