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War Tribunal

Azad linked with 2 acts of genocide

Formal charge includes 10 types ofcrime

Staff Correspondent
The prosecution of the international crimes tribunals yesterday submitted formal charges against expelled Jamaat member Abul Kalam Azad in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
Sahidur Rahman, prosecutor of the case, told The Daily Star that Azad, also known as Bachchu Razakar, has been accused in 10 types of crimes against
humanity.
The crimes include genocide, killing, rape, abduction, confinement, torture, arson, looting, forced religious conversion and deportation.
Sahidur had submitted the 64-page formal charges through the Registrar's Office of the international crimes tribunals.
He said the former leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of
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Jamaat-e-Islami, was involved in the killing of at least 14 people and in two acts of genocide in Faridpur during the war.
On July 26, the investigation agency completed its enquiry and said it had found “strong evidence” against Azad in connection with 10 types of crimes against humanity.
It handed over the report to the prosecution on July 29.
Azad went into hiding around seven hours before International Crimes Tribunal-2 issued an arrest warrantagainsthimonApril3.
The prosecutor, however, said in accordance with the law, the war crimes trial against Azad could start in his absence.
Sahidur said as a member of the Island Chhatra Sangha, Azad during the Liberation War was a close associate of Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, another war crimes accused at the tribunal.
About the formation of Razakar and Al-Badr in Faridpur, two auxiliary forces of the Pakistan army, Sahidur said in the first half ofMay 1971, theRazakarwas formed under the leadership of Azad and later the Pakistan army appointed Azad the chief of the Al-Badr force in Faridpur.
Azad and his associates occupied the homes of Badri Narayan, Hira Lal Mukter and Charu Majumder in Faridpur town and Azad himself trained local collaborators there, said the prosecutor.
He said in cooperation with the Pakistan army, Azad committed numerous crimes during the war.
On two incidents of genocide, Sahidur said Pakistani soldiers led by Major Akram Koreshi on April 21, 1971, went to Faridpur and Azad, Afzal Hossain, and Chand Quazi and other leaders of anti-liberation political parties advanced to Goalchamat to receive them.
They killed eight priests of Prabhu Jagatbandhu Ashram as they entered Faridpur town with the Pakistani army, he said.
Narrating another incident, the prosecutor said, in the third week ofMay, 1971, Azad, some of his cohorts along with 30-35 Pakistani army personnel attacked Hasamdia, a Hindu-dominated neighbourhood ofBoalmari in Faridpur.
They killed many people and looted their homes before torching them, he claimed.
He said later they went to Mayendia Bazar and looted 50-60 shops, mostly owned by the Hindus and Azad shot two people there.
Azad and his accomplices raped two women in Natibadia of Boalmari upazila in Faridpur and through issuing threats, he and his armed cohorts forced 15-20 Hindus of Sahapara of Nagarkanda upazila to convert to Islam, claimed the prosecutor.
Many Hindus of Faridpur district had to leave the country during the war after becoming victims of Azad's atrocities, he added.