Dhaka – Designated prosecutor Rana Dasgupta on Tuesday pleaded before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 for indicting accused Syed Mohammad Qaiser, a former junior minister during Gen (retd) HM Ershad’s rule, on charges of crimes against humanity including genocide, during the 1971 Liberation War.He said: “It’s a very fit case for putting the war crimes accused in the dock for ends of justice as sufficient materials with the statements of the prosecution witnesses and relevant documents are available to prove the charges made against Syed Qaiser.”
Referring to the ICT investigation agency, the prosecutor told the tribunal that it had found ‘horrifying evidence’ of Qaiser’s involvement in crimes against humanity and genocide.
Paraplegic accused Qaiser, sitting on a wheel chair beside the dock, heard the prosecution charge-pressing argument quietly.
As the prosecution argument was closed, the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, fixed December 19 for defence discharge hearing plea, asking Abdus Sobhan Tarafder, the defence counsel for Qaiser, to prepare himself by the time.
On November 14, after perusing the formal charge with 18 count offences submitted by the prosecution and the relevant documents, the tribunal took cognisance of the formal charge as it found prima facie case against the accused under sections 3(2) and 4(1)(2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.
Septuagenarian Qaiser, was earlier arrested on May 21 in connection with the war crimes case.
On August 5, responding to a petition, the tribunal granted him bail, subject to conditions, on medical and humanitarian grounds.
According to the investigation agency, Qaiser entered politics by joining BNP and subsequently became the president of Habiganj BNP. Later, he quit BNP to join Ershad’s Jatiya Party and became a state minister for agriculture in 1989. Latest information says that he joined the LDP of Col (retd) Oli Ahmed.
Qaiser, as a local Peace Committee leader during the Liberation War, had formed a vigilante group ‘Qaiser Force’ after his name comprising 500-700 of his trusted men in Habiganj and committed crimes against humanity, including genocide, in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation army.
At the latter part of the Liberation War, he fled to London and returned to the country after the August 1975 political changeover. – UNB
