The prosecution submitted formal charges against two expatriate war crime suspects of 1971– Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday. On behalf of the prosecution, Advocate Shahidur Rahman submitted its report to the
registrar’s office of the tribunal. The prosecution brought 16 charges against the two suspects who remained in abroad since the Independence of Bangladesh.
They were involved in the killing of intellectuals just before the Independence of Bangladesh in December, 1971, Rahman said.
Earlier, the investigation agency of the ICT handed over its enquiry reports to the prosecution on October 11 last year.
The prosecution prepared formal charges against them after scrutinising the probe reports of the investigation agency, Advocate Rahman further said.
Investigation Officer (IO) Ataur Rahman carried out the investigation against Mueen Uddin, while IO Mohammad Shahjahan Kabir conducted the probe against Ashrafuzzaman.
In reply to a query, the prosecutor said, if the two suspects remain fugitive and do not appear before the tribunal to face the trial after being summoned, they will be prosecuted in absentia.
Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman are widely believed to be the masterminds behind the killing of martyred intellectuals on the eve of the final victory on December 16, 1971.
Mueen Uddin has been staying in the UK at present while Ashrafuzzaman is in the USA.
As per evidences, Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman played leading roles in the killing of intellectuals at the fag end stage of the Liberation War from December 10 to 15 in 1971, IO Ataur Rahman said.
-With The Independent input
