The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday condemned fugitive BNP leader Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar, also a mayor of Nagarkanda municipality, Faridpur, to death for crimes against humanity, including genocide, during the Liberation War in 1971. Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chairman of the three-member tribunal, pronounced the judgment at 12 pm in a crowded court room amid tight security. The tribunal started reading the verdict at 11.00 am today. On April 17, the tribunal kept the verdict pending to be delivered any day after closing legal arguments from both sides over the war crimes case. The tribunal on October 9, 2013 indicted Zahid Hossain alias Khokon Razakar in absentia for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, dismissing the discharge plea moved by the state-appointed defence counsel. Septuagenarian Khokon, also Nagarkanda upazila BNP vice-president, faced 11 counts of war crimes charges like loot, arson, repression, forcible conversion to Islam, shooting to death, rape, killing and mass killing in his area during the Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army. According to the investigation agency, Khokon, a close associate of fugitive Maulana Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar, a condemned war crimes convict from Faridpur, had taken part in an election campaign for a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate in 1970, and was involved with the party. Later, he joined BNP. On June 23, 2013, the prosecution submitted to the tribunal formal war crimes charges against the incumbent Nagarkanda municipality mayor and produced 24 prosecution witnesses to prove the charges made against the accused. Advocate Mukhlesur Rahman Badal conducted the case for the prosecution while A Shukur Khan for the fugitive accused as the state-appointed defence counsel. – UNB, Dhaka.
