Maulana Abdus Subhan
The
International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) is scheduled to deliver its
verdict in war crimes cases against Jammat-e-Islami leader and former MP
Maulana Abdus Subhan today.
The tribunal yesterday fixed the date to pronounce the verdict on
85-year-old Subhan, the Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat. The three-member ICT-2,
headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, kept the verdict pending after
concluding the trial on December 4 last year.
The prosecution sought the death penalty for Subhan, claiming that it had been able to prove all nine charges. They also appealed for adequate compensation for the victims.
The defence counsel, on the other hand, claimed that the prosecution could not prove any of the charges brought against the Jamaat leader.
The prosecutor, Barrister Turin Afroz, placed final arguments and appealed to the three-member tribunal to award Subhan capital punishment for his crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Law enforcers arrested Subhan on September 20, 2012, and after a 17-month probe, the war crimes investigation agency submitted its report to the prosecution on September 12, 2013. Three days later, the prosecution submitted formal charges.
The prosecution submitted 86 pages of formal charges
against Subhan on September 15, 2013 and the tribunal took nine charges into cognisance on September 19.
The ITC-1, on December 31, 2013, framed nine war crimes charges against Subhan. Later, the case was moved to the ICT-2. The prosecution produced 31 witnesses against Subhan, but the defence could not produce any witness to give deposition in favour of him.
Subhan was born at Toilokundi village of Manikhati union in Sujanagar upazila, Pabna. He was the vice-president of the Pabna unit of the Peace Committee, an organisation of Pakistani collaborators, and organised Al-Badr, Razakar and was involved in a number of operations and committed crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971, says the investigation report.
He was the founder-president of the Pabna unit of the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971 and became secretary general of the Peace Committee and collaborated with Pakistani occupation army in "Operation Searchlight", on May 25, 1971.
According to the charges Subhan, along with Biharis and Jamaat-e-Islami's Pakistani supporters, had killed innocent people who took shelter in the Ishwardi Jam-e-Mosque in Pabna.
Under his leadership, Razakars and Al-badr cadres killed five unarmed civilians at Juktital village of Ishwardi on April 13, 1971 and injured another three. They looted and destroyed the village.
Subhan abducted two men from the Arankhola cattle market and tortured them after confining them in the Ishwardi District Council dak bungalow on May 16, 1971, according to another charge.
Pakistani soldiers killed several people and looted and torched houses at Sahapur village on May 2. They also killed seven villagers of Kulnia and Dogachi of Pabna Sadar on May 11.
With a large contingent of Pakistani soldiers, Subhan cordoned off the villages of Sujanagar and killed 300 to 400 people, torched houses after looting them.
Under the supervision of Subhan, his cohorts abducted 18 people from Vadara village and later shot them dead near Debottor Bazar on May 20. Subhan, along with his followers, abducted two supporters of independence and killed them in a temple in the first week of September, 1971.
The last charge said Subhan abducted four people from Betbaria village and killed them on October 30, 1971.
Earlier, the two tribunals awarded the death sentence for two top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ameer (chief) and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, secretary general of the party, for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
The prosecution sought the death penalty for Subhan, claiming that it had been able to prove all nine charges. They also appealed for adequate compensation for the victims.
The defence counsel, on the other hand, claimed that the prosecution could not prove any of the charges brought against the Jamaat leader.
The prosecutor, Barrister Turin Afroz, placed final arguments and appealed to the three-member tribunal to award Subhan capital punishment for his crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Law enforcers arrested Subhan on September 20, 2012, and after a 17-month probe, the war crimes investigation agency submitted its report to the prosecution on September 12, 2013. Three days later, the prosecution submitted formal charges.
The prosecution submitted 86 pages of formal charges
against Subhan on September 15, 2013 and the tribunal took nine charges into cognisance on September 19.
The ITC-1, on December 31, 2013, framed nine war crimes charges against Subhan. Later, the case was moved to the ICT-2. The prosecution produced 31 witnesses against Subhan, but the defence could not produce any witness to give deposition in favour of him.
Subhan was born at Toilokundi village of Manikhati union in Sujanagar upazila, Pabna. He was the vice-president of the Pabna unit of the Peace Committee, an organisation of Pakistani collaborators, and organised Al-Badr, Razakar and was involved in a number of operations and committed crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971, says the investigation report.
He was the founder-president of the Pabna unit of the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971 and became secretary general of the Peace Committee and collaborated with Pakistani occupation army in "Operation Searchlight", on May 25, 1971.
According to the charges Subhan, along with Biharis and Jamaat-e-Islami's Pakistani supporters, had killed innocent people who took shelter in the Ishwardi Jam-e-Mosque in Pabna.
Under his leadership, Razakars and Al-badr cadres killed five unarmed civilians at Juktital village of Ishwardi on April 13, 1971 and injured another three. They looted and destroyed the village.
Subhan abducted two men from the Arankhola cattle market and tortured them after confining them in the Ishwardi District Council dak bungalow on May 16, 1971, according to another charge.
Pakistani soldiers killed several people and looted and torched houses at Sahapur village on May 2. They also killed seven villagers of Kulnia and Dogachi of Pabna Sadar on May 11.
With a large contingent of Pakistani soldiers, Subhan cordoned off the villages of Sujanagar and killed 300 to 400 people, torched houses after looting them.
Under the supervision of Subhan, his cohorts abducted 18 people from Vadara village and later shot them dead near Debottor Bazar on May 20. Subhan, along with his followers, abducted two supporters of independence and killed them in a temple in the first week of September, 1971.
The last charge said Subhan abducted four people from Betbaria village and killed them on October 30, 1971.
Earlier, the two tribunals awarded the death sentence for two top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ameer (chief) and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, secretary general of the party, for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
