Convicted war criminal Abdul Alim held "superior status" over the local Peace Committee in Joypurhat during the Liberation War, which was an aggravating factor in sentencing him.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2, however, did not punish the "atrocious and potential leader of Joypurhat Peace Committee" on this ground as the prosecution did not bring the charge of superior responsibility against him.

Interestingly, a source in the prosecution has said the team did not bring the charge of superior responsibility against BNP leader Alim as they were

FROM PAGE 16 not absolutely sure of being able to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

However, they provided evidence of his superior responsibility during the entire trial, thesource added.

The tribunal, which sentenced the 83 year-old former minister to die in prison for committing genocide and crimes against humanity during the war, termed the Peace Committee an "associate organisation" of the Pakistan army.

The tribunal said the committee was formed to provide support and assistance to the Pakistan army with intent to combat and liquidate the unarmed Bangalee proliberation civilians in the name of preserving Pakistan.

" ... And he was visibly associated with the army which is a fair indication of his high level of culpability," the tribunal said in its judgment.

The tribunal said Alim was substantially "concerned” with the commission of the offences. "On cumulative evaluation of testimony made by the prosecution witnesses

it is inferred that Alim had close, active and culpable affiliation with the local peace committee and Razakars, by virtue of his political position.

"He had been able to establish his position of authority over them and had played a decisive role even on the matter of the fate of the persons detained by the army," the tribunal said.

Alim set up the Peace Committee office in Joypurhat at the "gadighar" [trading office] of Shaonlal Bajla, which was near his home in the town.

However, the defence claimed that Abbas Ali Khan was the chairman of the Joypurhat Peace Committee.

Binning the defence claim, the tribunal said, "Even accepting it to be true we may safely arrive at a conclusion on the basis of circumstances and oral evidence that Alim was a potential leader of the local Peace Committee."

On the defence alibi claim that Alim was elsewhere during the war, the tribunal said it found the defence

evidence did not appear to be compatible with the facts proved by the prosecution.

The tribunal in an earlier verdict in Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman's case elaborated the role of Al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army, infamous for killing intellectuals and professionals.

Yesterday, the tribunal made observations on the role of the Peace Committee during the Liberation War.

"We have found that the central peace committee was formed during the second week of April 1971 under the active initiation of leaders belonging to JEI, Muslim League, Convention Muslim League and other rightist Muslim parties after they met General Tikka Khan and thus the process was started to extend its committee at district, thana, union and village levels throughout the country, aiming to assist the occupation army to resist the pro-liberation people who were termed as 'miscreants' , 'agents of India' in the

name of preserving Pakistan," the verdict reads.

Quoting Sydney H Schanberg in a report titled "Peace Committee formed" in the New York Times on July 14, 1971, tribunal member Justice Shahinur Islam said, "Throughout East Pakistan the army is training new paramilitary home guards or simply arming 'loyal' civilians, some of whom are formed into peace committees. Besides Biharis and other non-Bengali, Urduspeaking Moslems, the recruits include the small minority of Bengali Moslems who have long supported the army — adherents of the right wing of religious parties such as the Moslem League, Jamaat-e-Islami.”

During the nine-month-long Liberation War, three million people were killed and nearly a quarter million women were raped. Ten million Bangalees reportedly took refuge in India to avoid massacre by the Pakistan army, and 30 million people were internally displaced.