Man gets death sentence for war crimes in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – A local court in Bangladesh on Tuesday handed down the death penalty to a commander of the anti-liberation force for war crimes during the country’s independence war in 1971.

The accused, Khalilur Rahman, a supporter of the largest Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami in the northeast Netrokona district, allegedly committed crimes against humanity in the region during the country's Liberation War.

Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after a bloody war that lasted for months.

A three-member International Crimes Tribunal convicted the defendants over charges of murders, looting, kidnapping, and arson during the independence war.

The tribunal, set up in 2009, has been criticized by global rights groups for not following fair trial standards.

The court received an investigation report against the accused following the investigation authority disclosed its findings at a news conference in January 2017. Five men were named in the case then. However, one suspect in the case died during treatment in Dhaka.

The court framed charges against the remaining four accused. However, three others in the case died in prison during the court proceedings.

The only convict, Khalilur Rahman, is absconding with his location yet to be traced.