War crimes accused Nagarkanda municipality mayor in Faridpur Zahid Hossain alias Khokon will be tried in absentia as he failed to appear before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 within the stipulated time. Passing the order, the tribunal on Wednesday set September 5 for charge hearing against Zahid Hossain Khokon. The tribunal also appointed advocate A Sukur Khan as state defence counsel for the absconding accused. Besides, the tribunal asked the prosecution to provide all the relevant documents and papers in connection with the case, including the formal charge, to the state defence counsel to conduct the case. Responding to a prosecution plea on July 18, the tribunal, after taking cognisance of the charge of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War against Khokon, issued warrant for his arrest as the accused did not appear before it. Later, the prosecution in compliance with the tribunal order published legal notice in daily newspapers asking him to surrender before the tribunal within a fortnight to face the trial, but the accused did not turn up. Earlier, on June 23, the prosecution submitted formal war crimes charges against the incumbent Nagarkanda municipality mayor to the tribunal. Septuagenarian Zahid, also Nagarkanda upazila BNP vice-president, faces 10 counts of charges that include loot, arson, repression, forcible conversion to Islam, shooting to death, rape, killing and mass killing in his area during the 1971 Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army. A total of 50 people have been made prosecution witnesses in the case. The ICT investigation agency completed its report after an investigation of over one year as it started on April 16, 2012. (Sources: UNB)
