Verdict against five Moulvibazar war crimes accused any day

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 will deliver the verdict any day against five war crimes accused from Moulvibazar district for the atrocities they committed during the Liberation War in 1971, as the hearing in the trial concluded on Monday, reports BSS.

"Verdict CAV (curia advisory vault, a Latin legal term meaning the court awaits verdict)," said Justice Md Shahinur Islam, chairman of the three-member panel of the ICT-1.

"We concluded our part of closing arguments on Sunday. Today (Monday) the defence placed their arguments and the tribunal simultaneously passed the order, saying it will pronounce judgment any day," said prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon.

The five accused are Shamsul Hossain Tarafder alias Ashraf, Md Nesar Ali, Yunus Ahmed, Md. Ujer Ahmed Chowdhury and Mobarak Mia. Of the five, only Yunus and Ujer are in jail.

The ICT-1 on June 9, 2016, took five charges pressed by the prosecution, into cognizance.

Hearing on charge framing was held on November 2, of the same year.

The tribunal on December 8, 2016 indicted the five in the crimes against humanity case.

According to the prosecution the accused ran havoc in the locality during the War of Liberation as the leaders of local Razakar Bahini and Al-Badr.