Dhaka, Nov 13 (IANS): The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Thursday sentenced Zahid Hossain, better known as Khokon Razakar, to death in absentia for war crimes at Faridpur’s Nagarkanda during the 1971 Liberation War.
ICT-1, headed by Justice M.Enayetur Rahim, found him guilty of 10 of the 11 charges levelled against him, bdnews24.com reported.
He has awarded death for six charges and various prison terms for the remaining four charges. His list of crimes include genocide, murder, rape, loot and forcibly converting Hindus.
Hossain, who later joined the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), had campaigned for the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in the election in 1970.
The 66-year-old was elected the municipality mayor of Nagarkanda in 2011.
The leader of Razakar Bahini under Nagarkanda police station, Khokon is said to have taken over after his brother, ‘Razakar Jafor’, was beaten to death after a battle between freedom fighters and the Pakistani Army at Chand Hat May 29.
Jafor was said to have headed one of Nagarkanda’s ‘Mujahid Bahini’ to aid the Pakistani Army.
Khokon was a member of Ansar, who used his training to organise the Razakar Bahini in Nagarkanda, according to writers and freedom fighters who have documented the Liberation War fought in Faridpur.
Law enforcers are clueless about where Hossain is hiding now but Bangladeshis living in Sweden said the man was living with his elder son and daughter there.
This is the tribunal’s third verdict for absconding individuals.
The prosecution’s probe official Satyaranjan Roy investigated Khokon from April 16, 2012, to May 28, 2013. He submitted his report May 29.
The tribunal issued an arrest warrant against the BNP leader July 18 last year after taking cognizance of the charges.
Khokon was summoned by the court in notices published in two newspapers after police failed to find him.
The court later indicted him in absentia Oct 9 and the state assigned a lawyer, Abdus Shukur Khan, for his defence.
A total of 24 witnesses have testified against Khokon but no defence witnesses were presented since the accused is in hiding.
The ICT-1 wrapped up his trial April 17.