Subhan’s War Crimes
Prosecution presents nine charges
War crimes prosecutors on Sunday presented nine formal charges of crimes against humanity against detained Jamaat leader Abdus Subhan.
Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud and other members of his team submitted the formal charges to the International Crimes Tribunal-1 through the registrar’s office at midday.
Later, the tribunal set Monday for passing an order as Sultan informed it that the formal charges against the accused had been submitted to the tribunal registrar office.
After submitting the formal charges, prosecutor Sultan told a news briefing at the tribunal premises that the prosecution had indisputable evidence of Subhan’s involvement in 1971 crimes against humanity in Pabna.
Subhan faces the charges of genocide, killings, abduction, confinement, torture in confinement, arson, looting and planning, he added.
He said that war crimes investigators – Md Matiur Rahman and Md Nur Hossin- probed the charges against
Subhan from April 15, 2012 to September 12.
Sultan said that 43 prosecution witnesses would testify in Subhan’s war crimes case.
Born in the village Tailkundi in Sujanagar, Pabna in 1936, Subhan was the founder amir of Pabna district Jamaat, he said.
In 1970, Subhan contested and was defeated in the election for the Pabna Sadar seat of National Assembly.
In the controversial 1971 by-election, Subhan was elected MNA from the same constituency, he said.
Subhan became secretary of Pabna district Peace Committee, formed in the first week of May, 1971, he alleged.
The accused became the vice-president of the Peace Committee when the previous committee was dissolved and a new one was formed within days, he alleged.
Sultan alleged that Subhan took the initiative to form Peace Committee, Razakar Bahini, Al-Badr Bahini, Al-Shams Bahini and Mojaheed Bahini at different thanas of Pabna during the Liberation War.
Subhan fled to Pakistan with the then Esat Pakistan Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam towards the fag end of the Liberation War, he alleged.
In 1971, the accused, in association with Jamaat men and Biharis abducted the Liberation War campaigners who had taken shelter in a mosque and killed them, he said.
On April 13, 1971, a group led by Subhan killed five villagers and left three injured after looting their houses at Juktitala in Iswardi, Pabna, alleged Sultan.
Subhan would also be charged for abducting two persons from Iswardi Arankhola cattle market on May 16, 1971 and torturing them in confinement at the district council Dak Bunglow at Iswardi, he said.
Pakistan occupation army troops led by Subhan raided, looted and set ablaze several houses at Iswardi Sahapur village before killing many villagers on May 2, 1971, he alleged.
Sultan said that the investigators also found evidences that the occupation Pakistan army troops led by Subhan raided Kulonia and Dogachhi, raided two villages in Pabna Sadar, set many houses on fire and killed 7 unarmed civilians on May 11, 1971.
A large occupation military convoy led by Subhan raided several villages in Satbaria union under Sujanagar, looted and set fire to several houses and killed 300 to 400 villagers on May 12, 1971, the prosecutor said.
On May 20, 1971, he said, Pakistan occupation army troops led by Subhan abducted 18 persons from the village Varara in Pabna Sadar, one of them was killed at the local school and the others were tortured at Nurpur Power Plant and none of them returned ever since.
In the first week of September, 1971, Subhan with Razakar Bahini men abducted two persons from Dublia Bazaar in Ataikula and killed them, he said.
He alleged that Subhan along with Razakar Bahini men raided the village Betbaria in Iswardi, looted and set several houses there on fire, abducted and killed four villagers on October 30, 1971.
-With New Age input
