Gallows for fugitive BNP leader Zahid Hossain

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Thursday condemned fugitive BNP leader Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar to death for crimes against humanity during the country’s independence struggles in 1971. Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chairman of the 3-member ICT-1, delivered the verdict at 12noon in a packed court room amid tight security. The tribunal started reading the verdict at 11.00am. On April 17, the tribunal kept the verdict pending to be delivered any day after closing legal arguments from both sides over the war crimes case. The tribunal on October 9, 2013 indicted Zahid Hossain alias Khokon Razakar in absentia for his involvement in war crimes during the Liberation War, dismissing the discharge plea moved by the state-appointed defence counsel. Septuagenarian Khokon, also Nagarkanda upazila BNP vice-president, faced 11 counts of war crimes charges like loot, arson, repression, forcible conversion to Islam, shooting to death, rape, killing and mass killing in his area during the Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation forces, according to a news agency.