Special Correspondent :
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Monday sentenced three Sherpur war criminals for life imprisonment for committing crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
The three criminals were from Sherpur’s Nokla upazila, who were the leaders and activists of Al-Badar Bahini involved in committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.
Justice Md Shahinur Islam, chairman of the three-member panel of the ICT-1, passed the order in presence of the three accused- SM Aminuzzaman Faruk, Md. Makleshur Rahman alias Tara and AKM Akram Hossain.
On January 24, the tribunal kept the judgement on CAV, curia advisari vult (a Latin legal term meaning the court awaits judgement), as the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments in the case.
The tribunal on August 30, 2018, framed four charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, confinement, torture and forces labour.
At that time, the tribunal ordered the trial to begin. Among the four, one accused named Emdadul Haq Khaja died during the trial.
The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal submitted a report on July 26, 2017, investigating allegations against four war criminals of Nokla upazila for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Prosecutor Rezia Sultana Chaman, who moved the case before the tribunal, pleaded to sentence the trio to death, saying the prosecution was successful in proving the case against the accused.
Defence counsels Abdus Subhan Tarafdar and Abdus Sattar Palowan, however, said their clients would be set free as the prosecution failed to prove their points.
Among the four, one accused named Emdadul Haq Khaja died during the trial.
