Two to walk gallows for war crimes

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday sentenced two people to death for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, report agencies.
The two convicts are Liakat Ali, former president of Habiganj's Lakhai upazila unit Awami League and Aminul Islam alias Rajab Ali of Kishoreganj district, who are now on the run.
The three-member bench of the tribunal, led by Judge Md Shahinur Islam, passed the order in absence of the accused.
Prosecutor Rana Das Gupta and Rezia Sultana Chamon moved for the state while Gazi H M Tamim stood for the accused.
According to investigation report, Liakat Ali was president of Lakhai upazila unit AL of Habiganj (2003 to 2013). The case was filed against him in 2010. Later, on May 18, 2016, the tribunal issued arrest warrant against the duo while they went into hiding.
"The trials of accused Liakat Ali and Aminul Islam began on November 01, 2016 after the tribunal pressed charges against them in 2015. The court began to take testimonies on December 04," Public Prosecutor Rezia Sultana said.
The court said in its decision that the prosecution had proved all seven allegations against the accused. The court then ordered them to be hung by the neck until death.
The suspects will be able to appeal the decision with the Supreme Court within a month, but will have to turn themselves in to do so.
According to the prosecution, Liakat was a student of Brahmanbaria College in 1971. As a member of the anti-liberation Muslim League, he joined the Pakistani militia Razakar and led it in Fandauk union.
He had gone into a hiding after independence. He joined the Awami League after he resurfaced and subsequently became the president of the party's Lakhai Upazila unit.
Rajab Ali, hailing from Alinagar village in Austagram, became the president of the Bhairab Haji Asmat Ali College unit of the Islami Chhatra Sangha in 1970.
According to the prosecution, Rajab received arms training at the Pakistani Army camp in Bhairab and later formed the local unit of Al-Badr militia once he returned to his neighbourhood.
It is reported that freedom fighters caught Rajab after independence and he was jailed for life in three cases filed under the Collaborators Act 1972.
Freed in 1981, Rajab authored a book on Al-Badr Bolchhi.