Sayedee stands trial today

FE Team | Published: October 30, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Detained Jamaat-e-Islami leader Maulana Delawar Hossain Sayedee stands for trial on Sunday before the International Crimes Tribunal for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, reports UNB. Sayedee, nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat that officially opposed the liberation war, is the first accused among five top Jamaat and two BNP leaders charged with similar offences, to be produced in the dock for trial after 40 years. According to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, the trial will start with the opening statement by the prosecution followed by examination of the prosecution witnesses. Earlier, on Oct 3, the tribunal before framing charges against Sayedee considered 20 specific allegations out of 31 as proposed by the prosecution which falls under section 3 (2) and its sub-sections of the ICT Act 1973. Sayedee, now 71, was charged with crimes against humanity, including genocide, rape, arson attacks, looting, forcibly converting Hindus into Muslims during the Bangladesh's Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation forces. According to the charges, Sayedee, a Razakar commander, who also helped recruit Razakars, an auxiliary force of Pakistan Army invited the army by establishing makeshift camps in Pirojpur for committing crimes against humanity.