The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal -2 on Thursday unanimously sentenced Md Forkan Mallick to death for the war crimes he had committed in Mirzaganj thana of the then Patuakhali sub-division during the country’s Liberation War.
The 63-year old war offender was found guilty of three out of five charges for which he was tried.
He was handed death sentences for raping and murders and life term requiring him to die in jail for raping two Hindu girls for which their families left the country.
The verdict said that Forkan’s two death sentences and life term would get merged on his execution.
The presiding judge, Justice Obaidul Hassan, pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom attended by relatives of the offender, freedom fighters and war crimes trial campaigners.
Two other judges of the tribunal, Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam were present.
Clad in white panjabi and cheked blue lungi Forkan was trembling standing in the dock with his hands on his belly as he listened to the verdict.
He asked his eldest son Zahir Mallick who was seated in front of the dock about the content of the verdict delivered in English.
His son told him that he could not understand the verdict as it was in English.
Zahir wanted to know the content from a reporter who told him that that death sentences had been handed to Forkan.
Forkan took a deep breath looking at the roof and his wife Jobeda Begum broke into tears and said ‘all the people gave false evidence. I know it.’
Forkan controlled his emotions and faintly said, ‘I was a freedom fighter. I was not a Razakar.’
Meanwhile, on duty police took Forkan out of the courtroom.
He was acquitted of two charges – one for killing four people at Mirzaganj on August 12, 1971 and the other for forcing three Hindu siblings to accept Islam who later left the country.
It was the 20th verdict in as many war crimes cases in Bangladesh.
For the ICT-2, it was the 11th verdict.
The tribunal found him as notorious associate of the criminal enterprise of the local Razakars.
In the observations the verdict said that mass raping of women was graver than murders.
It said that the four rape victims would be remembered as the bravest women.
Prosecutor Sabina Yasmin Munni said the verdict fulfilled the nation’s expectations.
Forkan’s lawyer Abdus Salam Khan said he was dissatisfied with the verdict.
He said that his client was sued on war crimes charges out of family enmity.
He said that he would advise his client to appeal against the verdict.’
The convict’s son Zahir Mallik claimed that his father was innocent and said his family would appeal against the sentence.
‘We will not blame the court for its verdict as the prosecution witnesses gave false evidence,’ he said.
On June 14, on completion of the trial the tribunal said that the verdict would be delivered later.
Forkan comes from the village Sailabunia under Mirjaganj police station in Patuakhali.
In 1971, Forkan was a supporter of Muslim League and he joined BNP in the 1970s, said the prosecution.
During the trial, 14 prosecution witnesses gave evidence against Forkan.
Four testified to defend him.
Until now, 22 war criminals, mostly Jamaat leaders, have been convicted of war crimes.
Of them, 16 were sentenced to death and six to varying jail terms.
Source: New Age
