An international crimes tribunal on Thursday awarded absconding accused Zahid Hossain Khokon, also known as Khokon Razakar, the mayor of Nagarkanda, death penalty for committing war crimes he had committed during the country’s liberation war in 1971.
A three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 pronounced the judgement against Khokon in a crowded courtroom in the Old High Court building amid tight security in the city.
‘….he be hanged by the neck till he is dead…,’ the presiding judge, Justice M Enayetur Rahim, pronounced the verdict at about 12:00pm.
It is the 12th verdict among many war crimes cases in independent Bangladesh.
Out of the 11 charges brought against him, the tribunal found him guilty of 10 and not guilty of the rest one. Of these 10 charges, he got death sentence in six charges.
Khokon was a close associate of absconding death sentence convict Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar, according to the prosecution.
After hearing closing arguments from both the sides on April 17, the tribunal left the verdict for pronouncement later.
Tight security has been put in place around the Old High Court Building, housing the Tribunal, said ICT officials.
For the ICT-1, established on March 25, 2010, it is the fifth verdict.
The ICT-2, founded on March 22, 2012, has until now delivered verdicts in seven war crimes cases.
The two ICTs were set up to bring the 1971 war crimes suspects to justice.
Born at Nagarkanda, Faridpur, on January 11, 1942, Khokon was a local Jamaat leader in 1971 and Nagarkanda Razakar Bahini commander, according to the prosecution.
On October 9, 2013, the tribunal indicted Khokon on 11 counts of crimes against humanity.
He has been tried for his superior war crimes responsibilities and on multiple charges of genocide, murders, rapes, abduction, confinement and torturing victims in confinement, arson attacks, looting and forced conversion of Hindus and deportations.
Khokon allegedly committed the crimes at different places of Nagarkanda thana, Faridpur, from April 21, 1971 to July 30, 1971, according to the prosecution.
During the trial 24 prosecution witnesses testified against Khokon.
The defence produced no witnesses.
Source: Newage
