The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has set June 16 to frame charges against two former Al Badr leaders Ashrafuzzaman Khan and Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, who stand accused of killings scores of leading Bengali intellectuals in the last days of the 1971 Liberation War.
Earlier, Sukur Khan represented former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abul Kalam Azad, also absconding, during his trial.
Tuni continues to represent BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in the tribunal.
Earlier on May 2, ICT-2 had issued arrest warrants for the two former Al-Badr leaders asking authorities to report by May 12 on whether they had been arrested.
On May 12, notices were published in national dailies asking the two to appear in court. But as they failed to appear, the prosecution pleaded to begin the trial of the absconders.
Khan is currently staying in New York and Mueen-Uddin is in London.
Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badal had brought the charges on Apr 28 after the probe report was submitted on Apr 25.
The charges said that the Al Badr was ‘put in charge’, meaning tasked to kill the intellectuals by the Pakistan military with Ashrafuzzaman Khan as the ‘chief executor’ and Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin as the ‘operation in-charge’.
Both were said to be active member of Islami Chhatra Sangha – the student affiliate of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971. The Jamaat opposed Bangladesh’s independence and joined the Pakistani war effort in 1971.
The two have been charged with murdering 18 intellectuals – nine Dhaka University teachers, six journalists and three doctors – between Dec 10-14, 1971. A total of 16 charges of crimes against humanity have been brought against them .
War crimes investigators Md Shahjahan Kabir and Md Ataur Rahman probed the charges against Khan and Chowdhury respectively.
Khan hails from Gopalganj’s Muksudpur and Chowdhury from Feni’s Daganbhuiyan.
Source: Bd news24
