War crimes suspect Abul Kalam Azad went on the run around seven hours before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 had issued arrest warrant against him.

The former Islami Chhatra Sangha leader left his Uttarkhan home in the capital around 3:30am with his sons Jihad Azad and Faysal Azad, said Sunanda Roy, an assistant commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police, quoting Azad's daughter Samania Jannati.

“He [Azad] is now at large,” she said at 9:45pm yesterday.

After the order was issued at 10:45am, a

team of DB searched Azad's Uttarkhan home around 2:30pm.

Azad is known as Bachchu Razakar [collaborator Bachchu] in Faridpur due to his alleged atrocities during the LiberationWar.

Yesterday's arrest warrant was expected as per an earlier decision of the tribunal. It said on Monday it would decide on Tuesday (yesterday) whether or not to issue an arrest warrant against Azad, who is facing INEWS

investigation in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.

The three-judge tribunal led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir issued the warrant to ensure a "proper and effective investigation" into Azad's alleged crimes in 1971. The tribunal went through the progress report on the investigation against him before issuing the arrest warrant.

The prosecution on March 25 sought an arrest warrant against Azad.

The court in the order yesterday said the investigation officer had collected significant evidence to implicate the accused, who allegedly took part in crimes against humanity.

"It also appeared that the investigation would be concluded within two or three months. It was also noted that a witness had filed a general diary with a police station in connection with receiving threats as he had given a statement to the IO [investigation officer] of the case,” the order stated.

The tribunal in its order said there was "reasonable apprehension” that the ongoing investigation against Azad was likely to be obstructed if he remained at large. "Therefore, the petition of the prosecution seeking the arrest of the accused is allowed.”

The court directed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to arrest Azad and produce him before the court within 24 hours of his arrest. It directed the prosecution to provide the accused with a copy of the allegations brought against him.

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, Sanaul Huq, senior member of the investigation agency probing the war crimes, said the investigation into Azad's activities was now in its final stage and could be completed within two or three months.

"After his arrest [Azad], we will seek the tribunal's permission to place him at a safe house to interrogate him, and we will crosscheck the information that has already been collected," said Sanaul Huq.

Azad, who used to host religious shows on TV, was an Islami Chhatra Sangha leader in 1971. The Sangha was the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami at the time. It was renamed Islami

Chhatra Shibir in 1977.

When arrested, Azad will be the ninth person to be taken into custody in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971. Six Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including its former and incumbent chief and two BNP leaders, are facing similar charges at another tribunal.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST AZAD The prosecution claimed that the investigation revealed Azad, locally known as "Bachchu Razakar”, was personally involved in the killings of several people as well as looting, rape, arson and had helped the Pakistani army kill numerous people in Faridpur district during the Liberation War.

Several witnesses had received threats from associates of Azad, an expelled member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the prosecution claimed.

Quoting the progress report of the investigation agency, prosecution sources said even before the Pakistani government formally formed the Razakar [collaborator] force, Abul Kalam Azad formed a “Swechchhasebi Razakar Bahini” (volunteering collaboration force), which included himself, his father-in-law and brother-in-law and some locals of Faridpur, to assist the Pakistani occupation forces against the pro-liberation forces in 1971.

Days after the Pakistani forces occupied Faridpur on April 21, 1971, Azad along with his associates took combat training from the Pakistani forces and received firearms.

He then set up a Razakar training camp at the house of Hira Lal Mukter by occupying the house. He also set up a torture camp at Faridpur's Chawkbazar area, where unarmed civilians were the victims.

On May 10, 1971, Azad, his associates and Pakistani soldiers killed six people in Faridpur's Sarupdia Baradia village, including one Gopal Biswas. They looted Hashamdia village, killed nine residents and set fire to 50 houses.

On the same day, they looted some 80 shops in Mayendia Bazar where the collaborators hit one Haripada Saha and Putia

with bricks. Later, Azad shot them dead.

Later that month, Azad shot Madhab Biswas dead after he and his associates had abducted him from Purua Nampara village. Azad also killed another person named Gyanendra on the same day.

On May 27, Azad and his cohorts abducted Sudhangshu Mohon Roy and his son Manimoy Roy from their house at Kalaran village of Boalmari. Azad later killed Sudhangshu. Azad also abducted and killed Jiban Chakrabarti of Hiran Nagar village of Boalmari on May 1971, said the prosecution.

In June 1971, Azad along with some 25 collaborators attacked Fulbaria village of Nagarkanda and looted some 60 houses. Chitta Ranjan Das was detained from the village before Azad shot him dead. He shot Badal Devnath dead the same day and dumped both the bodies into a river.

Azad and his associates also raped two women of Natibadia village of Boalmari later that month, according to the investigationagency.

According to the prosecution, Azad was fluent in Urdu and managed to maintain a good relationship with the Pakistani occupation forces.